Multi-axis reactor and method

Abstract

The multi-axis reactor includes a base having an upwardly extending support, a first motor having a stator fixedly connected to the support with its rotation axis oriented horizontally, a second motor having an arm fixedly connected to the drive shaft of the first motor and extending radially outward from the drive shaft of the first motor, and a stator fixedly connected to the end of the arm with its rotation axis parallel to the arm, and a closable containment tank that can be fixedly connected to the drive shaft of the second motor, wherein each of the first and second motors can be connected in a synchronized manner to a processor-based control system, and each of the first and second motors is operable by a control system machine-readable code that includes a set of instructions to place the contents of the containment tank in a modified gravitational environment when the motor is rotating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to reactors, and more particularly to bioreactors and methods of using the same.

[0002] The present invention has been developed primarily as a bioreactor and method for producing cells, bacteria, and their by-products, and is described herein by reference to this application. However, it will be understood that the present invention is not limited to this particular field.

Background Art

[0003] Any discussion of prior art throughout this specification should not be construed as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the art.

[0004] A bioreactor is a device, apparatus, or system designed for a production process that brings about and supports the growth of biological organisms and biochemical reactions under controlled conditions. Bioreactors are used in a variety of fields and industries, including biochemistry, microbiology, biotechnology, and chemical engineering.

[0005] A typical bioreactor consists of a containment vessel or tank within which a biological system or sample is housed and within which biochemical reactions occur. The containment tank is designed to be sterile to prevent contamination of the biological system and is often made of stainless steel or glass.

[0006] The containment tank also includes mechanical components, such as a stirrer, to enhance biological growth and biochemical reactivity, thereby mixing the contents of the tank and supplying oxygen to the organisms. The stirrer can be designed as a mechanical impeller or magnetic stirrer with controllable mixing speed to ensure that nutrients and gases are uniformly distributed throughout the container and its contents. Depending on the type of bioreactor, for example, in a twin-screw bioreactor, the contents can be mixed by shaking or rotating the container.

[0007] A bioreactor may have a temperature control system designed to maintain a constant temperature within the containment chamber. This control is achieved using heating and cooling systems that can be controlled to provide the temperature range required for the biological system.

[0008] A bioreactor may have a system for controlling the pH level of a biological system. Typical control is achieved by using buffers or chemicals that can be added to the containment tank to maintain a stable pH level.

[0009] Finally, the bioreactor may also have a system for monitoring and controlling oxygen and nutrient levels within the containment tank. This monitoring and control can be achieved by sensors that measure dissolved oxygen and nutrient levels, which can be used to adjust the agitator and other mechanical components to ensure optimal growth conditions.

[0010] Twin-screw bioreactors are a type of bioreactor that typically provides both mixing and gas transport within a single containment chamber. They are also known as orbital shaking bioreactors and are commonly used for microbial fermentation and cell culture applications.

[0011] In a twin-screw bioreactor, the containment tank is mounted on a platform that rotates simultaneously on two axes. This creates random three-dimensional movement of the culture, providing efficient mixing and aeration. A typical platform is driven by a motor.

[0012] In the manufacturing process, known bioreactors produce only limited quantities of a few types of biological organisms, such as cells, progenitor cells, and bacteria. Known bioreactors also produce byproducts in limited quantities. [Disclosure of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0013] The object of the present invention is to overcome or improve upon at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

[0014] An object of the present invention is to provide a bioreactor and method that, in its preferred form, can produce many types of biological organisms or by-products, and can produce one of these in larger quantities during the production process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] The multi-axis reactor provided by the present invention is A base having a support extending upward, A first motor having a stator fixedly connected to the support and having a rotating shaft oriented horizontally, An arm fixedly connected to the drive shaft of the first motor and extending radially outward from the drive shaft of the first motor, A second motor having a stator fixedly connected to the end of the arm and whose rotation axis is parallel to the arm, A closable storage tank that can be fixedly connected to the drive shaft of the second motor, Includes, For a processor-based control system, each of the first and second motors can be connected in an interlocking state. Each of the first and second motors is operable by a control system machine-readable code that includes a set of instructions to place the contents of the containment tank in a modified gravitational environment when the motor rotates.

[0016] The set of instructions preferably further includes instructions to rotate each of the first and second motors at 11 revolutions per minute.

[0017] Preferably, the second arm extends radially outward in the opposite direction of the first arm from the drive shaft of the first motor, and the end of the second arm is connectable in a rotatable state to the containment tank at a position coaxial with the drive shaft of the second motor.

[0018] Preferably, it further includes a gear system that operably connects the first motor to the arm.

[0019] Preferably, it further includes a gear system that operably connects the second motor to the closable containment tank.

[0020] The gear system preferably has a gear ratio of 1:1.

[0021] The first and second arms preferably form a splint.

[0022] A method for processing biological materials provided by another aspect of the present invention is as follows: Prepare one or more biological materials for processing in a multi-axis reactor. Deposit one or more biological materials into a containment tank for reaction. Ensure that the containment tank is closed. It includes a procedure of rotating each of the first and second motors of the multi-axis reactor at 11 revolutions per minute for a predetermined period.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] [Figure 1] An isometric perspective view of a multi-axis reactor according to the present invention. [Figure 2] A front view of a multi-axis reactor according to the present invention. [Figure 3] A side view of a multi-axis reactor according to the present invention. [Figure 4] A top view of a multi-axis reactor according to the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Referring to the drawings, the multi-axis reactor 1 (i.e., a bioreactor) has a base 2 with a support 4 extending upward. The stator 8 of the first motor 6 is fixedly connected to the support 4 such that the axis (not shown) of the rotor 10 of the first motor is oriented horizontally with respect to the plane of the reference ground (not shown) on which the base 2 is disposed. The first and second arms 12, 14 are each fixedly connected to the drive shaft 16 of the first motor, and each of the arms 12, 14 extends radially outward in a direction opposite to the direction of the other arm 12, 14. The arms 12, 14 together form a crossbar 18 fixedly connected to the drive shaft 16 of the first motor at an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction.

[0026] The stator 20 of the second motor 22 is fixedly connected to the end 24 of the crossbar 18 such that the axis (not shown) of the stator is parallel to the crossbar 18 in the longitudinal direction of the crossbar 18. One end of a closable container (not shown) in the form of a biological sample container is adapted to be fixedly attached to the drive shaft 26 of the second motor 22. The other end of the closable container is rotatably connected to the other end 28 of the crossbar 18 at a position coaxial with the drive shaft 26 of the second motor.

[0027] In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1, the second arm 30 is connected at one end to the drive shaft 26 of the second motor, and at the other end of the second bracket, it is rotatably connected to the end 28 of the first bracket 18 coaxially with the drive shaft 26 of the second motor. A biological sample container (not shown) is fixedly mountable (i.e., connectable) to the second arm 30. As shown in Figure 1, a 1:1 gear system 34 connects the first motor 6 to the arm 18 in a manner that allows it to be interlocked.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the arm 18 is directly connected to the drive shaft 16 of the first motor.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the gear system 34 includes a corresponding non-reaching gear.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, a container holder (not shown) in the form of an arm is fixedly connected to the arm 18 by a plurality of arranged groove means (not indicated).

[0031] Each of the first and second motors 6 and 22 controls the contents of the containment in a modified gravity environment 10 3 A processor-based control system, in the form of a microcontroller 32, is connected in a synchronized manner by appropriate power electronics circuitry and wiring to a control system that stores a machine-readable instruction set suitable for executing 11 rotations per minute to achieve the state G (not shown).

[0032] The various physical components of the multi-axis reactor 1 are made from plastic, but can be made from metal, rubber, or other suitable materials, and are connected by fastening means in the form of bolts (not indicated), but may be bonded to one another, 3D printed, and screwed to one another.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the microcontroller 32 is connected via USB, and one or all of the machine-readable instruction set is provided to the microcontroller 23 by a processor-based system using USB or another suitable computer communication method such as LAN or Wi-Fi.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the multi-axis reactor 1 is not equipped with a microcontroller 32, but is connectable to a microcontroller.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the multi-axis reactor 1 has a UI for controlling the motor's rotational speed per minute and operating duration.

[0036] Any suitable motors capable of carrying out the present invention can be selected for motors 6 and 22. Any suitable gear ratio capable of carrying out the present invention can be selected for the gear ratio.

[0037] The microgravity G-value can be set to another appropriate value.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the multi-axis reactor further includes one or more temperature sensors, moisture sensors, color sensors, gas sensors, IR sensors, and gravity sensors operably connected to a microcontroller 32, enabling measurement of the contents of a biological sample container (not shown) at an appropriate position relative to it. Data obtained from the reaction process operated by the multi-axis reactor means are used to cultivate a neural network model (not shown) suitable for optimizing the reaction process by controlling the RPM of each of the motors 6 and 22, i.e., the overall G on which the contents of the container are placed. This can be achieved by using neural network learning techniques, or other suitable artificial intelligence techniques such as reinforcement learning, which include preparing sensor data, building the model, cultivating the model, and improving its performance to make it a model capable of optimizing the reaction process to a target level.

[0039] Those skilled in the art ("PSA") will understand that in a preferred embodiment, the multi-axis reactor 1 is an embedded system. A typical embedded system includes hardware in the form of a microprocessor or microcontroller 32 connected to sensors and actuators by printed circuit board means. Software stored in system memory executes machine-readable code containing a set of instructions for operating the embedded system.

[0040] Those skilled in the art will understand that a biological sample container is a known type of container that uses a flask and / or tube configuration for storing one or more corresponding biological samples.

[0041] In order to process and produce (i.e., culture, grow, etc.) biomaterials using the multi-axis reactor 1 in the production process, the user first prepares the required amount of the biomaterial to be processed, for example, Staphylococcus aureus (not shown), by culture within the multi-axis reactor. The Staphylococcus aureus is mixed with approximately 150 and 250 ml of culture medium to a confluence of approximately 60% to 70%, and then placed in a 25 cm² closable container in the form of a standard biological material container (not shown). 3 From 75cm 2 Place it in a flask or test tube. Then, tightly close the container.

[0042] Next, the power to the multi-axis reactor 1 is turned on. The microcontroller 32 executes control system machine-readable code, including set commands, and rotates motors 6 and 22 at 11 revolutions per minute each, thereby rotating the containment (not shown) on its X and Y axes by arms 18 and 30, and as a result, the Staphylococcus aureus in the containment is exposed to the modified gravity environment 10 for a sufficient amount of time to bring its growth rate to the target parameter. 3 It is subjected to the G process. In a preferred embodiment, the trained neural network controls the rotations per minute based on sensor data received inside and / or outside the housing.

[0043] Those skilled in the art may refer to the following exemplary result charts A and B, which show the growth of Staphylococcus aureus grown in a multi-axis reactor according to the present invention.

[0044] JPEG2026522256000002.jpg71145

[0045] Those skilled in the art will understand that the best results are obtained closer to the intersection of the X and Y axes of the container's rotation.

[0046] Those skilled in the art will understand that the multi-axial reactor 1 and the corresponding method can be used to induce the growth of human and other mammalian cells, as well as bacterial cells, viruses, fungi, and tissue-like three-dimensional cell constructs (not shown).

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, multiple biomaterials (not shown) can be processed simultaneously by a multi-axis reactor.

[0048] It will be understood that the multi-axis reactor and method shown can produce many types of biological organisms or by-products, and that one of these can be produced in larger quantities during the production process.

Claims

1. A base having a support extending upward, A first motor having a stator fixedly connected to the support and having a rotating shaft oriented horizontally, An arm fixedly connected to the drive shaft of the first motor and extending radially outward from the drive shaft of the first motor, A second motor having a stator fixedly connected to the end of the arm and whose rotation axis is parallel to the arm, A closable storage tank that can be fixedly connected to the drive shaft of the second motor, Includes, Each of the first and second motors can be connected to a processor-based control system in a manner that allows them to be linked together. A multi-axis reactor in which each of the first and second motors is operable by a control system machine-readable code that includes a set of instructions to bring the contents of the containment tank into a modified gravitational environment when the motors are rotating.

2. The multi-axis reactor according to claim 1, wherein the set of instructions further includes instructions to rotate each of the first and second motors at 11 revolutions per minute.

3. The multi-axis reactor according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a second arm extending radially outward from the drive shaft of the first motor in the opposite direction to the first arm, wherein the end of the second arm is rotatably connected to the storage tank at a position coaxial with the drive shaft of the second motor.

4. A multi-axis reactor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a gear system that operably connects the first motor to the arm.

5. A multi-axis reactor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a gear system for operably connecting the second motor to the closable containment tank.

6. The multi-axis reactor according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the gear system has a gear ratio of 1:

1.

7. The multi-axis reactor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first and second arms form an arm.

8. Prepare one or more biomaterials for processing in a multi-axis reactor, The one or more of the aforementioned biological materials are deposited in a containment tank for reaction, The aforementioned storage tank is securely closed, A method for processing a biomaterial, comprising the step of rotating each of the first and second motors of a multi-axis reactor at 11 times per minute for a predetermined period of time.

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