Impeller and bioreactor including same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an impeller and a bioreactor including same, and the impeller may comprise: an extension part extending in the up-down direction; a mounting part coupled to the extension part such that the extension part passes through the center thereof; a blade part which is coupled to a portion of the edge of the mounting part and protrudes outward from the perimeter of the mounting part; and a covering part which covers the remainder of the mounting part, other than the portion of the edge, from outside the perimeter.

Description

Impeller and bioreactor containing the same

[0001] [Cross-reference with related applications]

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0145518, filed October 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The present invention relates to an impeller and a bioreactor including the same.

[0004] A bioreactor is a mechanical device engineered and designed to create a biologically active environment. A bioreactor is a vessel that facilitates chemical reactions involving organic matter extracted from living organisms or biochemically active substances. This process can be aerobic or anaerobic. Based on their operating mode, bioreactors are categorized into batch, fed-batch, and continuous types (e.g., continuous stirred-batch reactors). An example of a continuous reactor is the chemostat.

[0005] Bioreactors can be used to cultivate meat fragments. Meat fragments are cultured masses of cell fragments, combined with a support, that are a uniform size and shape, reminiscent of meat. When the culture medium and meat fragments are placed in the bioreactor, the bioreactor agitates the medium containing the meat fragments, inducing cell growth through material exchange.

[0006] One method that can be used in bioreactors for culturing such pieces of meat is the impeller method. This method involves rotating an impeller with blades placed inside the reactor, thereby generating fluid flow within the reactor.

[0007] However, while conventional impellers aid in agitating the medium within a bioreactor, they can cause direct physical damage to the meat fragments. Therefore, a method is needed that can simultaneously ensure the agitation performance required for meat fragment culture while minimizing physical damage to the meat fragments.

[0008] To this end, a method of placing meat pieces in a cage inside a bioreactor can be considered, but since the shape and size of a typical impeller depend on the size and ratio of the inside of the bioreactor, there is a problem that the space for placing the cage is limited depending on the size and location of the impeller, and the use of an impeller to maintain a homogeneous flow of the culture medium may cause excessive stress on the meat pieces located inside.

[0009] In addition, when the impeller and cage are separated, there is a problem that the setting time required for installation and disassembly is long, the number of work processes increases, and the possibility of contamination increases due to increased exposure time of the meat to the outside.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide an impeller capable of securing the stirring performance required for culturing meat pieces while efficiently using the internal space of the bioreactor, and a bioreactor including the impeller.

[0011] In addition, the task of the present invention is to minimize physical damage to meat pieces.

[0012] In addition, the object of the present invention is to provide an impeller and a bioreactor including the same that can reduce the possibility of cell destruction and contamination of meat pieces through an integrated optimal design that simplifies the work process.

[0013] In one example, the impeller may include an extension portion extending in a vertical direction, a mounting portion coupled to the extension portion such that the extension portion penetrates the center, a blade portion coupled to a portion of the edge of the mounting portion and protruding in an outer peripheral direction of the mounting portion, and a cover portion covering the remainder of the mounting portion except for a portion of the edge of the mounting portion in the outer peripheral direction.

[0014] In another example, the mounting portion may include a plurality of mounting members, and the plurality of mounting members may be arranged to have a spaced apart space in the vertical direction.

[0015] In another example, the blade portion is joined to a portion of the edge of a plurality of the securing members, and the edge of the blade portion joined to a portion of the edge of the securing member may be a spiral that extends in the vertical direction and has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the securing member.

[0016] In another example, the blade portion may be joined to a portion of the edges of the plurality of mounting members, and the side edges of the cover portion may have a shape corresponding to the shape of an edge joined to a portion of the edges of the plurality of mounting members among the edges of the blade portion.

[0017] In another example, the cover portion may cover the plurality of the fixing members and the separation space in the outer direction of the circumference.

[0018] In another example, the mounting member may include an annular mounting portion orthogonal to the extension portion and an upward protruding portion protruding upwardly from a radially outer end of the mounting portion.

[0019] In another example, the blade portion may include a connecting region that connects one mounting member to another mounting member positioned above the one mounting member.

[0020] In another example, the above-mentioned mounting portion may have a plurality of mounting holes formed through the vertical direction.

[0021] In another example, the upper plate portion is coupled to the extension portion so as to penetrate the center of the extension portion and is positioned on the upper side of the uppermost mounting member among the plurality of mounting members, and the upper end of the blade portion can be coupled to the upper plate portion.

[0022] In another example, the upper portion may include an annular upper portion that is perpendicular to the extension portion and located above the mounting portion, and a downward protruding portion that protrudes downward from a radially outer end of the upper portion.

[0023] In another example, the upper plate portion may have a plurality of upper plate holes formed through the upper and lower directions.

[0024] In another example, the cover portion may be detachably connected to a portion of the edge of the upper portion and a portion of the edge of the lowermost mounting member among the plurality of mounting members.

[0025] In another example, the cover portion may have a plurality of cover portion holes formed along the outer circumferential direction.

[0026] In another example, the cover portion includes a contact area that comes into contact with the mounting portion and a non-contact area that does not come into contact with the mounting portion, and the cover portion hole can be formed in the non-contact area.

[0027] In another example, the blade portion may be provided in multiple pieces and spaced apart along the circumference of the mounting portion, and the cover portion may have a number corresponding to the number of the blade portions.

[0028] In another example, the extension may be formed in a tubular shape having an internal passage and extending in an up-and-down direction.

[0029] In another example, the outer peripheral edge of the blade portion may be formed in a spiral shape extending in the vertical direction and having a diameter larger than the diameter of the mounting portion.

[0030] For example, a bioreactor may include a tank configured to receive a medium therein, an impeller arranged inside the tank to agitate the medium, and configured to receive meat pieces therein, wherein the impeller may include an extension extending in a vertical direction, a mounting portion coupled to the extension portion such that the extension portion penetrates the center and on which the meat pieces are mounted, and a blade portion coupled to a portion of a periphery of the mounting portion and protruding outwardly from the periphery of the mounting portion.

[0031] According to the present invention, by combining the cage structure and the blade structure into one, the stirring performance required for culturing piece meat can be secured while the internal space of the bioreactor can be used efficiently.

[0032] In addition, according to the present invention, the blade is positioned outside the cage and a detachable cover is positioned outside the cage, thereby minimizing the stress applied to the meat slices, simplifying the work process, and reducing the possibility of cell destruction and contamination of the meat slices.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a bioreactor including an impeller according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an impeller according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of an impeller according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 4 is a drawing showing the cover part of Figure 2 removed.

[0037] Figure 5 is a drawing illustrating a cover part.

[0038] FIGS. 6 to 8 are drawings sequentially illustrating a method for arranging pieces of an impeller according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to exemplary drawings. When designating components in each drawing, identical components are given the same reference numerals, wherever possible, even if they appear in different drawings. Furthermore, when describing embodiments of the present invention, detailed descriptions of known components or functions will be omitted if they are deemed to hinder understanding of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0040] In this specification, the forward / backward, left / right, up / down, and vertical directions are referred to for convenience of explanation and may be directions orthogonal to each other. However, these directions are determined relative to the direction in which the impellers (2) are arranged, and the up / down direction may not necessarily mean the vertical direction.

[0041] An impeller (2) according to one embodiment of the present invention relates to an impeller that can be used in a bioreactor for culturing meat pieces (M). Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a bioreactor including an impeller according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] As illustrated in Fig. 1, a bioreactor may include a tank (1) and an impeller (2). A medium may be accommodated inside the tank (1). The impeller (2) may be arranged inside the tank (1) to agitate the medium. In addition, pieces of meat (M) may be accommodated inside the impeller (2).

[0043] Below, the detailed shape of the impeller (2) is described in detail.

[0044] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an impeller according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an impeller according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a drawing illustrating the cover portion of Fig. 2 with the cover portion removed. Fig. 5 is a drawing illustrating the cover portion.

[0045] An impeller (2) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an extension portion (10), a mounting portion (20), a blade portion (30), and a cover portion (40). The extension portion (10) may extend in a vertical direction. The extension portion (10) may be a portion connected to a shaft (3) that is rotatably arranged inside a tank (1). For example, the extension portion (10) may be formed in a tubular shape that has an internal passage (11) and extends in a vertical direction. A shaft (3) may be coupled to the internal passage (11). As the shaft (3) rotates, the impeller (2) rotates and can agitate the medium inside the tank (1).

[0046] The anchoring portion (20) can be combined with the extension portion (10) so that the extension portion (10) penetrates the center. The anchoring portion (20) can be configured to anchor the piece of meat (M).

[0047] The blade portion (30) may be joined to a portion of the edge of the mounting portion (20) and may protrude in the outer direction (D) of the circumference of the mounting portion (20). The blade portion (30) may be a portion for stirring the medium.

[0048] The cover part (40) can cover the remainder of the mounting part (20) except for a part of the edge in the outer peripheral direction (D).

[0049] An impeller (2) according to one embodiment of the present invention secures the stirring performance required for culturing meat pieces (M) by combining a settling portion (20) for settling meat pieces (M) and a blade portion (30) for stirring the medium, thereby efficiently using the space inside a bioreactor.

[0050] In addition, according to the present invention, the blade portion (30) is positioned outside the mounting portion (20) and a cover covering the mounting portion (20) is placed, so that the stress applied to the piece of meat (M) can be minimized.

[0051] anchorage (20)

[0052] The mounting portion (20) may include a plurality of mounting members (21). The plurality of mounting members (21) may be arranged to have a separation space (22) in the vertical direction. The cover portion (40) may cover the mounting members (21) and the separation space (22) in the outer peripheral direction (D).

[0053] The anchoring member (21) may include a anchoring portion (21a) and an upwardly protruding portion (21b). The anchoring portion (21a) may be an annular portion orthogonal to the extension portion (10). The anchoring portion (21a) may be a portion on which the piece of meat (M) is anchored.

[0054] The upward protruding portion (21b) may be a portion that protrudes upward from the radially outer end of the mounting portion (21a). The upward protruding portion (21b) may be a portion that prevents the piece of meat (M) mounted on the mounting portion (21a) from moving in the radially outer direction of the mounting portion (21a).

[0055] A plurality of mounting holes (21c) penetrating in the vertical direction may be formed in the mounting portion (21a). As the mounting holes (21c) are formed in the mounting portion (21a), the medium may also come into contact with the surface of the piece of meat (M) adjacent to the mounting portion (21a). In addition, the medium may smoothly move in the internal space of the impeller (2) through the mounting holes (21c), so that the culturing of the piece of meat (M) may be performed effectively.

[0056] Blade section (30)

[0057] The blade portion (30) may be coupled to a portion of the edge of a plurality of securing members (21). In addition, the blade portion (30) may include a connecting region (31). The connecting region (31) may be a region that connects one securing member (21) to another securing member (21) located on the upper side of one securing member (21). This may mean that the blade portion (30) has a form that connects a plurality of securing members (21) to each other.

[0058] For example, parts of the edges of the plurality of fixing members (21) to which the blade portion (30) is coupled may be located at different positions when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0059] Among the edges of the blade portion (30), a part of the edge that is joined to the edge of the mounting member (21) may be a spiral that extends in the vertical direction and has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the mounting member (21). In addition, the edge of the blade portion (30) in the outer circumferential direction (D) may be formed in the shape of a spiral that extends in the vertical direction and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the mounting member (20).

[0060] However, the shape of the blade portion (30) is not limited to this, and various modifications may be possible within the scope of common sense of a person skilled in the art, such as the outer peripheral edge (D) being formed as a straight line, or the edge in the opposite direction being formed as a straight line.

[0061] The blade portion (30) may be provided in multiple pieces and spaced apart along the circumference of the mounting portion (20). As the blade portion (30) is provided in multiple pieces, the stirring performance of the medium may be further enhanced. Meanwhile, the cover portion (40) described below may have a number corresponding to the number of blade portions (30). This number may correspond to the number of spaces defined by the blade portions (30).

[0062] Cover (40)

[0063] The cover part (40) can cover the remaining area, excluding the area where the blade part (30) is combined, among the areas defined by the fixing part (20). The cover part (40) can cover a plurality of fixing members (21) and a separation space (22) in the outer peripheral direction (D).

[0064] The cover part (40) can be detachably coupled to the mounting part (20). For example, the cover part (40) can be detachably coupled to and coupled with the mounting part (20) via a magnet. To this end, an upper magnet member (54) is coupled to the upper plate part (50) described later, a lower magnet member (23) is coupled to the mounting member (21) located at the lowest side, and a cover magnet member (42) can be coupled to the upper and lower ends of the cover part (40). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications may be possible within the scope of common sense of a person skilled in the art, such as an interlocking structure such as a snap fit or an adhesive structure.

[0065] Since the impeller (2) according to one embodiment of the present invention can detach the cover part (40), the work process is simplified when placing the pieces of meat (M), thereby reducing the possibility of contamination, and cell damage caused by the blade part (30) of the pieces of meat (M) can be prevented through the cover part (40).

[0066] The side edge of the cover portion (40) may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the edge that is joined to a portion of the edge of the plurality of fixing members (21) among the edges of the blade portion (30). That is, the side edge of the cover portion (40) may have a spiral shape.

[0067] A plurality of cover holes (41) penetrating along the outer circumferential direction (D) may be formed in the cover part (40). As the cover part (40) has the cover hole (41), the medium can smoothly flow into the interior of the impeller (2), while the movement of the pieces of meat (M) to the outside of the impeller (2) is prevented, thereby preventing direct damage to the pieces of meat (M) by the blade part (30).

[0068] The cover portion (40) may include a contact area (40a) and a non-contact area (40b). The contact area (40a) may be an area that comes into contact with the mounting portion (20). The non-contact area (40b) may be an area that does not come into contact with the mounting portion (20). The non-contact area (40b) may be an area that covers a separation space (22). The cover portion hole (41) may be formed in the non-contact area (40b).

[0069] In the case of the contact area (40a), since it is an area blocked by the mounting portion (20), even if a cover hole (41) is formed, the medium cannot flow into the interior. On the other hand, if a large number of cover hole (41) are formed, the rigidity of the cover part (40) may be weakened, so by not forming a cover hole (41) in the contact area (40a) where the medium cannot flow, the rigidity of the cover part (40) can be maintained.

[0070] Top part (50)

[0071] Meanwhile, the impeller (2) according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include an upper plate (50). The upper plate (50) may be coupled to the extension (10) so as to penetrate the center thereof, and may be positioned above the uppermost mounting member (21) among a plurality of mounting members (21). The upper plate (50) may serve to impede upward movement of the piece of meat (M) mounted on the uppermost mounting member (21) among the mounting members (21).

[0072] The upper part of the blade part (30) can be joined to the upper part (50). The cover part (40) can be detachably joined to a part of the edge of the upper part (50) and a part of the edge of the lowermost mounting member (21) among the plurality of mounting members (21).

[0073] The upper portion (50) may include an upper portion (51) and a downward protruding portion (52). The upper portion (51) may be an annular portion that is perpendicular to the extension portion (10) and located above the mounting portion (20). The downward protruding portion (52) may be a portion that protrudes downward from a radially outer end of the upper portion (51).

[0074] In the upper plate portion (51), a plurality of upper plate holes (53) penetrating in the vertical direction can be formed. Through the upper plate holes (53), the badge can smoothly flow into the lower side of the upper plate portion (50).

[0075] How to arrange the pieces of meat

[0076] FIGS. 6 to 8 are drawings sequentially illustrating a method for arranging pieces of meat in an impeller according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a method for arranging pieces of meat (M) inside an impeller (2) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the above-described content and FIGS. 6 to 8. The method for arranging pieces of meat in an impeller (2) may refer to a process of arranging pieces of meat (M) in a mounting portion (20) inside the impeller (2).

[0077] First, the cover part (40) connected to the mounting part (20) and the upper part (50) is separated.

[0078] Second, the piece of meat (M) is placed on the mounting portion (21a) of the mounting portion (20).

[0079] Finally, the cover part (40) is connected to the mounting part (20) and the upper part (50), and the shaft (3) and the extension part (10) are connected, and then the impeller (2) is placed inside the tank (1), thereby preparing for the culture of the meat pieces.

[0080] The above description is merely an illustrative illustration of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are intended to illustrate, rather than limit, the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. An extension extending in the vertical direction; A mounting portion coupled to the extension portion so that the extension portion penetrates the center; A blade portion that is joined to a portion of the edge of the above-mentioned mounting portion and protrudes in an outer direction around the periphery of the above-mentioned mounting portion; and An impeller including a cover part that covers the remainder of the periphery except for a part of the edge of the above-mentioned mounting part in the outer direction of the periphery.

2. In claim 1, The above-mentioned fixing part includes a plurality of fixing members, An impeller in which a plurality of the above-described mounting members are arranged to have a spaced apart space in the vertical direction.

3. In claim 2, The above blade part, is joined to a portion of the edge of a plurality of the above-mentioned fixing members, An impeller, wherein a part of the edge of the blade portion that is joined to a part of the edge of the mounting member is a spiral that extends in the vertical direction and has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the mounting member.

4. In claim 2, The above blade part, is joined to a portion of the edge of a plurality of the above-mentioned fixing members, The side edges of the above cover portion are: An impeller having a shape corresponding to the shape of a border that is joined to a portion of the border of a plurality of the above-mentioned mounting members among the borders of the above-mentioned blade portion.

5. In claim 2, The above cover part is an impeller that covers the plurality of the mounting members and the separation space in the outer direction of the circumference.

6. In claim 2, The above-mentioned fixing member is, An annular mounting portion orthogonal to the above extension; and An impeller including an upward protrusion portion protruding upward from an outer radial end of the above-mentioned mounting portion.

7. In claim 6, The above blade part, An impeller comprising a connecting region connecting one mounting member and another mounting member located on the upper side of said one mounting member.

8. In claim 6, An impeller in which a plurality of mounting holes penetrating in the vertical direction are formed in the above mounting portion.

9. In claim 2, It includes an upper plate that is connected to the extension so as to penetrate the extension and the center, and is located on the upper side of the uppermost mounting member among the plurality of mounting members. The upper part of the above blade part is an impeller that is connected to the upper plate part.

10. In claim 9, The above upper part, An annular upper plate portion perpendicular to the above extension portion and located above the above mounting portion; and An impeller including a downward protrusion portion protruding downward from the outer radial end of the upper plate portion.

11. In claim 10, An impeller in which a plurality of upper plate holes penetrating in the upper and lower directions are formed on the upper plate portion.

12. In claim 9, An impeller in which the cover part is detachably connected to a part of the edge of the upper part and a part of the edge of the lowermost mounting member among the plurality of mounting members.

13. In claim 10, An impeller in which a plurality of cover holes are formed in the cover portion along the outer direction of the circumference.

14. In claim 13, The above cover part, a contact area in contact with the above-mentioned mounting portion; and Includes a non-contact area, which is an area that does not come into contact with the above-mentioned mounting portion, The above cover hole is formed in the non-contact area, the impeller.

15. In claim 1, The above blade portion is provided in multiple pieces and is spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the mounting portion, An impeller having a cover portion having a number corresponding to the number of blade portions.

16. In claim 1, The above extension portion is an impeller formed in a tubular shape that has an internal passage and extends in an up-and-down direction.

17. In claim 1, An impeller in which the outer peripheral edge of the blade portion is formed in a spiral shape extending in the vertical direction and having a diameter larger than the diameter of the mounting portion.

18. A tank designed to accommodate a badge inside; An impeller is disposed inside the tank to agitate the medium and is provided to accommodate pieces of meat inside, The above impeller, An extension extending in the vertical direction; A mounting portion that is connected to the extension portion so that the extension portion penetrates the center and is provided so that the piece of meat is mounted; and A bioreactor comprising a blade portion that is joined to a portion of the edge of the mounting portion and protrudes in an outer direction around the mounting portion.

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