Container system for biodegradation testing

Abstract

The invention relates to a container system for biodegradation testing of a material (113) associated with a chemical product in a predefined habitat (112). The system comprises a container (110) for containing the material and the predefined habitat. Valves (123, 124) are connected to the container such that the container can be vented via the respective valves, wherein the connection between the valves and the container is configured such that the valves define an airtight experiment volume (111) comprising the volume defined by the inside of the container. Sensors (125, 126) are provided for measuring one or more indicators for the biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container, wherein the one or more sensors are provided within the experiment volume.

Description

[0001] Container system for biodegradation testing

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The invention refers to a container system, a laboratory system comprising a plurality of container systems, a cap for closing a container of the container system and the use of the container system for biodegradation testing. Further, the invention refers to an apparatus, method and computer program product for controlling a venting of a container of the container system for biodegradation testing. Moreover, the invention refers to a method for biodegradation testing utilizing the container system.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] One setup for measuring the biodegradation of a material is the manometric respirometry which relies on the measurement of oxygen consumption by microorganisms during biodegradation. In this measurement method a material is subjected to a predetermined habitat in a standard container, for instance, a glass Duran bottle, and a loss of pressure on incubation of the bottle is measured. Further, a carbon dioxide absorber is placed in the container to capture an evolving CO2 for directly generating an under-pressure which correlates with the oxygen consumption. To prevent anaerobic conditions the containers have to be aerated whenever the pressure drops below a predetermined threshold by manually opening the containers to let fresh air into the containers. Thus, this method strongly relies on manual steps that disrupt the biodegradation process in the controlled environment. It would thus be advantages if the manual steps could be avoided and a biodegradation test performed without disrupting the controlled environment.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Biodegradation is defined as a natural breakdown of materials, e.g. small molecules, polymers or compounds, by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. This process occurs in a variety of natural habitats. The most common biodegradation mechanism used by microorganisms is the mineralization reaction occurring under aerobic conditions. This reaction utilizes oxygen from the atmosphere to convert the organic carbon into CO2, energy, water and biomass.

[0007] Today it is very important to develop new materials that can be utilized in chemical products that allow for predetermined biodegradation in respective habitats. This allows to decrease the environmental impact of a chemical product along the life circle of the chemical product. One important aspect of the environmental impact is prevention of microplastics, wherein microplastics are an increased problem and can be avoided if the utilized chemical plastic product is biodegradable. Thus, there is a need to early identify the biodegradability of a new material in the development process of chemical products. Moreover, there is a need that testing procedures for the biodegradation can be performed in a fast, effective and also accurate manner without consuming too much resources.

[0008] One standard method for determining the biodegradation of a material in a habitat revers to expose the material to a controlled habitat provided in a container. CO2 and O2 measurements allow for measuring and tracking the biodegradation of the material in the container. However, due to a decrease in pressure and changes in the atmospheric composition during the biodegradation, it is necessary to vent the container manually at certain time intervals. For this manually venting the container has to be taken out, for instance, an incubator providing a constant temperature for the habitat in the container, and has to be handled, a lit has to be opened manually and respective airflow has to be encouraged. This handling of the container can disturb the controlled environment and thus the microorganisms performing the biodegradation. Accordingly, the results of this method can be adulterated. Moreover, the required manual handling prevents a scaling of this method that allows for an efficient large scale scanning of new materials for biodegradation characteristics.

[0009] As will be described in more detail in the following the invention provides a container system comprising one or more valves connected to the container such that the container can be vented via the respective one or more valves, and further comprises one or more sensors for measuring the biodegradation indicators in the container, wherein the one or more sensors are provided within an experiment volume that is defined by a volume between the one or more valves comprising the inside of the container. Since the container system comprises the one or more valves defining the experiment volume and the sensors within the experiment volume, the valves can be controlled for an automatic venting of the container such that manual handling is unnecessary. Moreover, since the sensors have provided within the experiment volume the biodegradation process that is not disturbed by the manual handling of the probes can be tracked very accurately. This overall leads to an accurate result of the biodegradation determination and further improves the efficiency in scalability of the experiment. This allows in the early phase to accurately determine for a plurality of new materials which are suitable for a new chemical product. This leads to a faster and more efficient way of developing new materials and a faster time to market for the new material while at the same time ensuring to decrease environmental impact of the new materials.

[0010] In a first aspect a container system is presented for biodegradation testing of a material associated with a chemical product in a predefined habitat, wherein the system comprises a) a container for containing the material and the predefined habitat, b) one or more valves connected to the container such that the container can be vented via the respective one or more valves, wherein the connection between the one or more valves and the container is configured such that the one or more valves define an airtight experiment volume comprising the volume defined by the inside of the container, and c) one or more sensors for measuring one or more indicators forthe biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container, wherein the one or more sensors are provided within the experiment volume.

[0011] The material associated with the chemical product can be any kind of substance or combination of substances that can be utilized with a chemical product, within a chemical product, as part of a chemical product or for producing a chemical product. For example, the material can be a natural material, like cellulose, or can be a synthesized material, like a synthesized polymer. The material can referto or comprise at least one of the following small molecules, water-soluble polymers, polymers, and multilayer materials. In the context of this invention a term relating to “at least one of A and B”, includes “A”, “B”, and “A and B”. The habitat can refer to any habitat for which respective biodegradation testing should be performed. For example, the habitat can be a soil habitat, wastewater habitat or marine habitat. Other examples, for respective habitats are sludge, freshwater or compost. However, instead of a natural habitat the habitat can also be a synthetic habitat, for instance, a human controlled habitat with predefined characteristics.

[0012] The container can refer to any container that is configured to receive the material and to provide the predefined habitat. In particular, the container defines a volume of space that can contain the material and the predefined habitat and is closed to the outside world by the container walls. For example, the container can be a standard Duran bottle. Moreover, the container can comprise one or more openings for placing the material and the predefined habitat in the container, wherein the openings are closed during the biodegradation testing to the outside world, for instance, utilizing respective caps, seals, etc. Further, the container can comprise one or more openings that allow for connecting the one or more valves to the container. However, the one or more openings for connecting the valves to the container can also be provided by opening in a seal or a cap utilized for closing an opening of the container. The container can be made of any material that does not interfere with the biodegradation experiment inside the container. For example, the container can be made of glass or a durable, non-biodegradable plastic.

[0013] The one or more valves are connected to the container such that a container can be vented via the respective one or more valves. For example, the valves can be connected directly to the container through openings within the container which are then sealed by the one or more valves. However, the valves can also be connected to the container via respective connection means like tubes, pipes, ducts or other means that allow to connect the inside of the container to the one or more valves. In particular, the connection between the one or more valves and the container is configured such that the one or more valves define an airtight experiment volume comprising the volume defined by the inside of the container. For example, if a valve is connected via a tube with a container the inside of the tube together with the inside of the container defines the airtight experiment volume. In particular, a valve is defined as a device that allows for controlling the passage of air into and out of the experiment volume and thus the inside of the container. A valve is configured to provide an open and a closed state, wherein an open state is configured such that gas can pass the valve and a closed state is configured to be gastight such that no gas can pass the valve. The one or more valves can refer to valves that are configured for a flow into both directions, into the experiment volume but also out of the experiment volume. However, the one or more valves can also be one-sided valves that are configured for a flow only on direction preventing flow in the other direction. For example, a valve can be configured for a flow into the experiment volume or out of the experiment volume. In particular, if the one or more valves are one-sided valves, it is preferred that at least two valves are provided, wherein one valve is configured for flow into the experiment volume and one valve is configured for flow out of the experiment volume. Preferably, the one or more valves are controllable via remote controlling, for instance utilizing a respective wired or wireless communication method.

[0014] Further, the container system comprises one or more sensors for measuring one or more indicators for the biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container. For example, the one or more sensors comprise at least one of a O2 sensor, a CO2 sensor, and a CH4 sensor. Moreover, the sensors can comprise one or more additional sensors comprising at least one of a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The one or more sensors are provided within the experiment volume that is defined by the one or more valves. The experimental volume comprises, optionally, the connection between the one or more valves to the container, and the inside of the container. Within the experiment volume the sensors can be provided in any place sensible for the respective measurement of the sensor. In particular, the sensors can be attached to any of the walls and boundaries defining the experiment volume. Preferably, the one or more sensors are provided within the experiment volume at a predetermined distance from a position of the material. Further, it is preferred that the one or more sensors are provided within the volume defined by the container. Generally, the position of a sensor within a volume of space is defined herein as referring to the position at which the measurement is performed. Thus, at least parts of the sensor that do not perform the measurement itself, for example, electronic or communication means that are used for communicating a measurement result, can be provided at a different position, for instance, outside of the volume of space. For example, a measurement probe of a sensor can be provided extending through an opening in the container such that the sensor seals the opening and performs the measurements within the container, but provides the measurement and communication electronic of the sensor outside of the container.

[0015] The container system as described above can be utilized for testing biodegradation of a material, for example, the container system can be provided within an incubator for controlling a temperature of a respective predefined habitat. However, respective additional measures for generating a predefined habitat within the container can also be added into the volume of the container, for instance, by introducing a respective heating means for heating the inside of a container, etc. Moreover, the one or more valves can connect in an open state the experiment volume to a predefined gas reservoir. For example, the gas reservoir can be the outside world and thus generally the air in an environment of the container but can also be a closed reservoir that can be controlled for the experiment. For example, the valve can be connected to a gas reservoir comprising a predetermined gas supply with predetermined characteristics like humidity, gas composition, temperature, etc.

[0016] In an embodiment the container system is configured to automatically monitor and / or control one or more controllable parameters of the biodegradation test based on the measurement of at least one of the one or more indicators. For example, a pressure measurement can be utilized to monitor an air tightness of the container and to provide a warning signal is the air tightness underruns predetermined thresholds. Moreover, a venting can be controlled based on a measured CO2 concentration. Further, a humidity can be monitored and based on the humidity exceeding a threshold a venting can be initiated or a warning can be provided.

[0017] In an embodiment the container system is configured to automatically vent the container via the one or more valves based on the measurement of at least one of the one or more indicators. For example, the one or more valves can be configured to open and close based on respective electrical control signals and the container system can comprise an electrical connection between the one or more sensors and the one or more valves that provides based on a measurement of the one or more indicators a respective control signal to the one or more valves. In particular, a threshold can be defined such that respective electric means only provide an electric control signal to the one or more valves if the one or more sensors measure an indicator above or below the respective threshold, depending on the respective indicator. In another example the container system can be provided with computation means, wherein the control signals forthe one or more valves are generated based on the one or more indicators and provided by the computation means via a wired or wireless connection to the valves. The computation means can be configured by respective software means to utilized predetermined rules, for example, one or more thresholds for one or more indicators, to generate a respective signal. For example, a venting of the container can be initiated by controlling the valves if a predetermined maximal CO2 concentration threshold is exceeded. Moreover, a venting can also be ended by controlling the valves if a predetermined minimal CO2 concentration threshold is underrun during a venting of the container. An exemplary maximal threshold can be a CO2 threshold in a range between 10.000 and 20.000 ppm, wherein a control signal for venting the container is provided to the valves if the measured CO2 value exceeds the threshold. A exemplary minimal threshold can be a CO2 threshold in a range between 500 and 700 ppm, wherein a control signal for stopping a venting of the container is provided to the valves if the measured CO2 value falls below the threshold Preferably, the one or more sensors comprise an CO2 sensor a CH4 sensor and / or a O2 sensor, wherein the venting of the experiment volume is based on the measurement of at least one of a CO2 value, a CP value and a O2 value in the experiment volume, respectively.

[0018] In an embodiment the volume defined by the inside of the container is closed by a cap and the one or more sensors are attached to the cap such that one or more sensors are provided in the volume defined by the inside of the container or in the volume defined by the inside of the cap. The cap can in particular be configured to close an opening of the container that is configured for introducing the material and / or the predefined habitat into the container. In particular, the cap is configured to provide an airtight closure of the container, for instance, by comprising a ring seal. However, the airtight closure, e.g. the ring seal, can also be provided by the opening of the container. Preferably, the cap is configured to be removable from the container. The cap can be fixed to the container utilizing respective known mechanism, like a clamping mechanism or a screwing mechanism. The sensors can be attached to the cap in a plurality of different ways utilizing respective attaching mechanisms. For example, the sensors can be screwed or glued to the cap. Moreover, the sensors can be directly attached to the cap, for instance, can be directly glued to the cap such that the only material between the cap and the sensor refers to the glue. However, the sensors can also be attached to the cap utilizing additional distance means, for instance, rods, strings or blocks that allow to adjust a distance of the sensor to the cab such that the sensors have a predetermined distance from the material in the container. Preferably, the cap comprises the one or more valves or is configured to connect to the one or more valves. Attaching directly or indirectly an addition to the sensors also the valves to the cap allows to provide all important components of the invention in one part of the containersystem, in this case in the cap. This allows to utilize, for instance, standard containers such that only a respective cap comprising the valves and the sensors has to be provided to the standard containers in order to provide the advantages of the invention.

[0019] In a further aspect of the invention a laboratory system is presented comprising a plurality of container systems as described above for measuring a biodegradation of materials in parallel. For example, the plurality of container systems can be attached to each other or a holding system, like a rack, can be provided for holding the plurality of container systems. Moreover, the gas in- and outlets comprising the valves of the respective container systems can be connected to the same gas reservoir or to different gas reservoirs. Preferably, each container is closed by a cap and the caps are part of a cap bar comprising the caps of the containers. The cap bar can be any kind of holding mechanism that allows to attach the caps of the containers to each other and hold them in a fixed configuration. In particular, the caps can be integrated into the cap bar such that the caps are not individual components but are provided as part of the cap bar. For example, the cap bar can provide respective holds with screwing means that are configured to close the opening of the container by screwing the containers into the holds. Also, in this embodiment the caps integrated into the cap bar can comprise for each container the one or more valves and / or the one or more sensors, as already described above. Moreover, it is preferred that the caps are provided by the cap bar in a predetermined pattern. For example, the caps can be provided in a row such that the containers can be fixed to the cap bar in the predetermined row, but also other patterns can be utilized. In a further aspect of the invention a cap is presented for closing a volume defined by a container for biodegradation testing of a material associated with a chemical product in a predefined habitat, wherein the cap comprises a) one or more sensors attached to the cap such that the one or more sensors are provided in a volume defined by the container or in the volume defined by the cap, and b) one or more valves for venting the container or connectors for connecting the cap to one or more valves for venting the container. In particular, the cap is configured to be utilized with a container system as described above.

[0020] In a further aspect an apparatus is presented for controlling the venting of the container of a container system as described above, wherein the apparatus comprises a) a measuring data receiving unit for receiving measurements provided by one or more sensors indicative of the one or more indicators for biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in a container of the container system, and b) a controlling unit for controlling the venting of the container by controlling the one or more valves based on the received measurements of the one or more indicators for biodegradation. The apparatus can be realized in form of an electronic computing system that is configured to provide the functions of the respective unit. For example, the apparatus can be realized as dedicated hardware or a general hardware configured with respective software components. The measurement data receiving unit can refer to an interface for interfacing with the respective one or more sensors via a respective wired and wireless communication pathway. However, the measurement data receiving unit can also be configured to access a storage unit on which the respective measurements are already stored. The controlling unit is configured for controlling the venting of the container by controlling the one or more valves. For example, the controlling unit can be configured to provide control signals to the valves, via a respective wired and wireless communication pathway, that control an opening or closing of the valves. The controlling is performed based on the received measurement of the one or more indicators for the biodegradation. In particular, a threshold can be set for one or more of the indicators and the controlling unit can be configured to open and close a valve if one or more of the indicators are above or below the respective threshold. For example, a venting of the container can be initiated by controlling the valves if a predetermined maximal CO2 concentration threshold is exceeded. Moreover, a venting can also be ended by controlling the valves if a predetermined minimal CO2 concentration threshold is underrun during a venting of the container. The specific rules for the controlling can depend on the respective indicator or combination of indicators that is utilized for controlling the venting of the container. Moreover, the respective rules can depend also on the habitat and the biodegradation mechanism of the biodegradation in the container. In the further aspect of the invention a computer-implemented method is presented for controlling the venting of the container of a container system as described above, wherein the method comprises a) receiving measurements provided by the one or more sensors, and b) controlling the venting of the container by controlling the one or more valves based on the received measurements.

[0021] In a further aspect of the invention a controlled container system is presented comprising a container system as described above and a control apparatus as described above configured for controlling the venting of the container system.

[0022] In a further aspect of the invention an apparatus is presented for controlling the venting of a container of a container system for biodegradation testing, wherein the container is vented by one or more valves connected to the container, wherein the apparatus comprises a) a measuring data receiving unit for receiving measurements provided by one or more sensors indicative of one or more indicators for biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container, wherein the one or more sensors are provided within an experiment volume defined by the one or more valves connected to the container and a volume of the inside of the container, and b) a controlling unit for controlling the venting of the container by controlling the one or more valves based on the received measurements of the one or more indicators for biodegradation. The same embodiments as described above for the container system and the apparatus can be applied to this apparatus. In particular, since the sensors are provided directly in the experiment volume defined by the valves, the controlling allows for an individual venting of the container during the experiment. Moreover, due to the sensors measuring in the experiment volume, the venting can be performed more accurately without much delay of offsets.

[0023] In a further aspect of the invention a computer implemented method is presented for controlling the venting of a container of a container system for biodegradation testing, wherein the container is vented by one or more valves connected to the container, wherein the method comprises a) receiving measurements provided by one or more sensors indicative of one or more indicators for biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container, wherein the one or more sensors are provided within an experiment volume defined by the one or more valves connected to the container and a volume of the inside of the container, and b) controlling the venting of the container by controlling the one or more valves based on the received measurements of the one or more indicators for biodegradation. The same embodiments as described above for the container system and the method can be applied to this method. In a further aspect of the invention an apparatus is presented for controlling and / or monitoring the biodegradation test utilizing a container system, for instance, as described above, wherein the apparatus is configured to a) a measuring data receiving unit for receiving measurements provided by one or more sensors indicative of one or more indicators for biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container, wherein the one or more sensors are provided within an experiment volume defined by one or more valves connected to the container and a volume of the inside of the container, and b) a controlling unit for controlling and / or monitoring the biodegradation test based on the received measurements of the one or more indicators for biodegradation. The apparatus can be the same apparatus as already described above, wherein in this case the controlling refers to a controlling of the valves of the container. Preferably, the controlling is performed by controlling one or more controllable test parameters. For example, the controllable parameters can refer to an open / close status of the valves, a temperature in the container, a pressure in the container, a concentration of one or more gases in the container and / or a humidity in the container. The controlling can be performed by providing control signals to one or more technical means that can influence the respective test parameter. For example, a heater can be controlled to increase or decrease a temperature in the container, the opening and closing of predetermined valves can influence the pressure, gas concentration and / or humidity in the container. The monitoring can be performed by providing warning signals if predetermined conditions for one or more indicators are given. For example, if a pressure condition indicates an inadequate air tightness, a respective control signal can be generated to cause a warning signal to be provided to an operator of the test. This allows to increase the security, but also the success of a respectively monitored biodegradation test.

[0024] In a further aspect of the invention a method is presented for controlling and / or monitoring the biodegradation test utilizing a container system, for instance, as described above, wherein the method is configured to a) receiving measurements provided by one or more sensors indicative of one or more indicators for biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container, wherein the one or more sensors are provided within an experiment volume defined by one or more valves connected to the container and a volume of the inside of the container, and b) controlling and / or monitoring the biodegradation test based on the received measurements of the one or more indicators for biodegradation.

[0025] In an embodiment the container system is configured to automatically monitor and / or control one or more controllable parameters of the biodegradation test based on the measurement of at least one of the one or more indicators. For example, a pressure measurement can be utilized to monitor an air tightness of the container and to provide a warning signal is the air tightness underruns predetermined thresholds. Moreover, a venting can be controlled based on a measured CO2 concentration. Further, a humidity can be monitored and based on the humidity exceeding a threshold a venting can be initiated or a warning can be provided.

[0026] In the further aspect of the invention a use is presented of a container system as described above for experimental biodegradation testing of a chemical product.

[0027] In the further aspect of the invention a method is presented for biodegradation testing of a material associated with a chemical product in a predefined habitat, wherein the method comprises a) adding a material into the predefined habitat provided by a container of a container system as described above for containing the material and the predefined habitat, b) measuring one or more indicators forthe biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container utilizing one or more sensors provided by the container system, and c) determining the biodegradation of the material based on the one or more measured indicators.

[0028] The container system as described above, the cap as described above, the laboratory system as described above, the apparatus as describe above, the computer implemented method as described above and the method as described above have similar and / or identical preferred embodiment, in particular, as defined in the dependent claims.

[0029] The preferred embodiment of the present invention can also be any combination of the dependent claims and above embodiment with the respective independent claim.

[0030] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described here after.

[0031] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Fig. 1 shows schematically and exemplarily a container system for biodegradation testing of a material associated with a chemical product,

[0033] Fig. 2 shows schematically and exemplarily a laboratory system comprising a plurality of container systems, and Fig. 3 shows schematically and exemplarily a biodegradation testing method performed utilizing the container system,

[0034] Fig. 4 shows schematically and exemplarily a biodegradation testing method utilizing the container system and a respective venting control, and

[0035] Fig. 5a, 5b show schematically and exemplarily CO2 concentrations in an experiment volume with a controlled venting.

[0036] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0037] Fig. 1 shows schematically and exemplarily a container system for biodegradation testing of material associated with a chemical product in a predefined habitat. The container system 100 comprises container 1 10, a cap 120 and optionally an apparatus 130. The container 110 comprises container walls defining together with the cap 120 closing the container 110 and the valves 123, 124 an experiment volume 1 11. The predefined habitat 112 is provided within the experiment volume 1 11 in the container 1 10, for instance, as a soil layer at the bottom of the container 1 10. Further, a material, for instance, in form of a small probe 113 is also provided within the experiment volume 112 to being exposed to the predetermined habitat 112. For example, the small probe 1 13 can be placed to be surrounded by a soil layer or a water habitat, but can also be mixed with the habitat by providing the probe in form of small particles (not shown in the Figure). Further, the container 1 10 comprises an opening 114 through which the predefined habitant 1 12 and the material 113 can be introduced into the container 110 and, if necessary, also be removed from the container 110.

[0038] The cap 120 is configured to close the opening 114 of the container 1 10, for instance, by enclosing the opening 114. In particular, the cap 120 can removable close the opening 114, wherein by removing the cap 120 the inside of the container 110 is again assessable, for instance, to remove the material 113. For example, the cap 120 can be configured to be screwed to the opening 114 of the container 110. Also a clamping mechanism can be utilized to attach the cap 120 to the opening 114 of the container 110. Further, the cap 120 can provide, for instance, together with a seal ring 121 in airtight closure of the container 110. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 , the cap 120 further comprises two valves 123, 124 that in a closed state seal that experiment volume 111 and in an open state allow gas to enter or leave the experiment volume 1 11 . A valve 124 is shown as an one-way-valve through which gas can only leave the experiment volume 111 and valve 123 is shown as one-way-valve through which gas can only enter the experiment volume 111. The valves 123, 124 can be connected to a respective gas reservoir as indicated by the broken lines 129. Connecting at least the inflow valve 123 to a gas reservoir has the advantage that predetermined gas can be provided to the inside of the container and thus to the experiment volume 111. For example, the characteristic of the inflowing gas can be controlled in a respective gas reservoir and a predefined humidity, temperature, gas composition etc. can be provided to the experiment volume 1 11. However, valves 123, 124 can, in an open state, also connect the experiment volume 111 to the ambient air.

[0039] Further, the cap 120 comprises sensors 125, 126 that allow to measure one or more indicators of biodegradation. For example, the sensors can refer to at least one of a CO2 sensor, CH4 sensor and O2 sensor. Optionally, at least one sensor can also be a pressure and / or temperature sensor. Preferably at least one of a CO2 sensor, an O2 sensor and a CH4 sensor is provided within the container volume, i.e. the volume defined by the container without additional volumes that can be defined, for instance, by a connection to the valves. The CO2 sensor can be an infrared sensor that emits and receives infrared light and determined based on the received infrared spectrum a CO2 concentration. In this embodiment shown in Fig. 1 the sensors 125, 126 are attached to the cap utilizing a glue 127. Sensors 125 is directly glued to an inside part of the cap and sensor 126 is attached to the cap utilizing a string 128. This allows, for instance, to bring the sensor 126 into a predetermined distance from the material 113 by configuring the length of the string 128 accordingly. The sensors 125, 126 are placed within the experiment volume 111 , such that the measurement is influenced by the biodegradation processes preformed within the experiment volume 111. However, at least parts of the sensors 125, 126, for example, housing, electronics, communication means, etc. can be, for instance, provided integrated into the cap are attached to an outside of experiment volume 111. The measurement of the biodegradation indicators performed by the sensors 125, 126 can be provided, for instance, via a wired or wireless connection indicated in Fig. 1 to apparatus 130.

[0040] Apparatus 130 comprises a measurement data receiving unit 131 and controlling unit 132. The measurement data receiving unit 133 is configured for receiving the measurement data of the sensors 125,126 indicative of the indicators for biodegradation. For example, the measurement data receiving unit 131 can be an interface between the apparatus 130 and the sensors 125,126 that is configured to receive wired or wireless communication signals from the sensors 125, 126. The controlling unit 132 is configured for controlling the venting of the container 110 during the biodegradation experiment. In particular, the controlling unit is configured to control the valves 123, 124 based on the received measurement of one or more indicators for biodegradation. For example, the controlling unit 132 can be configured to generate control signals that can be provided by a wired or wireless communication as indicated in Fig. 1 to the valves 123, 124, wherein the control signals control the valves 123 and 124 to open or close. Moreover, the controlling unit 132 can also be configured to perform additional tasks for controlling the test based on the measurements of the indicators. For example, a measured pressure can be utilized for controlling a leak tightness of the container system. For example, is a pressure falls below a predetermined threshold, or if a pressure change in less than a predetermined time is detected, a control signal can be generated that causes an alarm to inform an operator of the test. Moreover, an automated leak tightness test can also be performed utilized the pressure sensors, for example, before the start of the biodegradation test or during a venting of the container. In this case the controlling unit 132 can be configured to control an outlet valve to close before an inlet valve such that an overpressure is generated in the container. A decent of the overpressure can be measured by the pressure sensor and compared with predetermined parameters, for instance, the time until a pressure threshold is underrun can be determined and compared to a predetermined threshold. Based on this procedure the air tightness can be determined. Generally, the apparatus 130 can be realized in form of the dedicated controlling circuit or a programmable logic controller, but can also be realized as a general computing system like a personal computer, a laptop, a smartphone, etc. running a respective software program that is configured to perform the functions of the units 131 , 132 of the apparatus.

[0041] Although in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 only two valves are shown, generally, also only one valve or more than two valves can be utilized. For example, if only one valve is utilized, the valve can be a two-way-valve that allows a gas to pass in both directions. Moreover, if more than two valves are provided it is possible to connect the valves to different gas reservoirs and to control the valves specifically such that a predetermined gas that provided to experiment volume 110 according to specific rules of the intended experiment. This allows to stimulate different scenarios in a controlled environment that can influence the biodegradation of the material 113.

[0042] Although the valves shown in Fig.1 are integrated into the cap 120, the valves can also be provided in other positions such that the valves define the experiment volume 110 and connect to experiment volume 110 to the outside of the experiment volume 110. For example, some kind of tubing can be provided between the valves and the cap or the valves can be attached to the container at specific openings of the container configured for receiving the valves or a tubing connecting to the valves. Although in the embodiment in Fig .1 only two sensors are shown, also only one or more than two sensors can be provided within the experiment volume 1 11. The sensors utilized can depend on the respective goals of the intended experiment and / or intended rules for controlling of the venting of the experiment volume 111 . Further, in Fig.1 , it is shown that the sensors are glued to the cap. However, the sensors can also be attached to other parts of the experiment volume 111 , for instance, to the container 110 itself by attaching the sensors to the walls of the container. Moreover, the sensors can be attached also in different ways like by screwing or clamping the sensors to a respective positon. Thus, generally the cap can also be very simple and not comprise a valve and / or a sensor, wherein in this case the valves and / or sensors are attached to different parts of the container. However, providing the one or more valves and the one or more sensors as part of or attach to the cap has the advantage that the container can be kept simple making it easier to utilize a standard container and also to replace, or clean the container after performing of the experiment.

[0043] The container system as described above has the advantage that it allows for an automatic performing of biodegradation experiments in a controlled predetermined habitant environment.

[0044] Fig. 2 shows schematically and exemplarily a laboratory system 200 comprising a plurality of containers 210, for instance, as described in more detail with respect to Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the caps on the containers 210 are integrated into a cap bar 220 that comprises for all of the plurality of containers 210 the respective caps closing the openings of the containers 210. Also in this case the valves 221 and / or the sensors (not shown) can be attached or integrated into the caps of the cap bar 220. This kind of laboratory system 210 as shown in Fig. 2 allows for an automation of a plurality of biodegradation experiments. This allows for a systematic and a large scale analysis of the biodegradation of a plurality of the materials or one material in the plurality of different biodegradation habitats.

[0045] Fig. 3 shows schematically and exemplarily a method for performing biodegradation experiment utilizing a container system, for instance, as shown in Fig. 1 or a laboratory system, for instance, as shown in Fig. 2. The method shown in Fig. 3 comprises as a first step adding respective material, and if not already present also biodegradation habitat components, to the container. The container can then, optionally, be subjected to respective environment controlling measures. For example, the container can be provided to an incubator to control a temperature of the habitant within the container. During the biodegradation of the material, starting from the adding of the material to the container, the indicators for biodegradation can be measured utilizing the sensors in the experiment volume of the container. For example, respective indicators can be measured in a predetermined time intervals or continuously. Based on the measured indicators, the biodegradation can then be determined also at predetermined intervals or continuously. Moreover, also based on the measured indicators and based on the predetermined rules that are set by the respective experimental setup, and for instance, the habitant, the venting of the container utilizing the valves can be controlled, as described above with respect to Fig. 1 .

[0046] In the following, a detailed embodiment of a container system is described. This embodiment utilizes a container a standard glass Duran bottle that is equipped with a screw cap which includes at least one gas sensor, e.g. a CO2 or O2 sensor. Furthermore, valves as air inlet and outlet are directly airtight connected to the screw cap. This experimental setup allows to ventilate the container on demand, e.g. if the sensor measurements indicate that a certain gas concentration is reached. Moreover, the valve can be connected to a gas reservoir such that the input gas can be adjusted. For example, a humidity of the gas can be controlled so that no manual adjustment, e.g. by adding water to the habitat and test substance, is necessary. Additionally, performing measurements of the sensors inside the container is less prone to errors. Measuring the carbon dioxide generation outside of the container volume, for example, depends on the tightness of the tubing between the experiment volume and the sensor. Moreover, such a positioning of the sensors outside the container volume can lead to a dead volume, since the gas needs to be transferred from the containerto the sensor. Furthermore, the measurement outside the container is more prone to fluctuation of the ambient air. All these problems can be avoided by using a closed container system as described above with a sensor inside the experiment, preferably, container volume.

[0047] In the following, possible methods for calculating a biodegradation based on different measured indicators are described in more detail. For example, a biodegradation can be determined from measured consumed oxygen by utilizing the equation

[0048] Wherein Dtrefers to the biodegradation in percent at time t, BTtrefers to the consumed oxygen at time t in a container comprising a material, BBtrefers to the consumed oxygen at time t in a reference container comprising no material, pTis the amount of material in the container, and T is the theoretical oxygen demand for the material biodegradation. In another example, the biodegradation can be calculated utilizing a measured CO2 production with the following equation 100

[0049] Wherein Dtrefers to the biodegradation in percent at time t, mTto the amount of produced CO2 at time t in a container comprising a material, mBto the amount of produced CO2 at time t in a reference container comprising no material, and ThCO2refers to the theoretically produced CO2 after the biodegradation of the sample.

[0050] In the following more detailed embodiments and examples of the controlling of the venting of the container system are described, In this example, a CO2 sensor is provided to measure the CO2 concentration in the experiment volume as defined above. For example, the CO2 sensor is an infrared sensor. Thus, a CO2 concentration can be measured by processing of an infrared spectrum, e.g. the CO2 concentration can be measured in ppm following known principle of infrared spectroscopy. Further, in this example, pressure, temperature and / or humidity sensors can be provided. Based on these measurement indicators, for instance, based on the CO2 concentration a venting of the experiment volume may be controlled. This may be implemented based on a threshold and / or time dependent control parameter.

[0051] In the following a respective biodegradation test method and venting control is described with respect to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows schematically and exemplarily a biodegradation test method utilizing the above described container system and a respective venting control. In the first five steps the biodegradation test is set up and in the following steps the test is performed and a venting control utilized for venting the container during the test. During the setup of the test first the container, in this example, a flask, is prepared for the experiment. For example, cleaning and sterilization procedures can be performed. In the following the test habitat, for instance, soil, and a respective sample of the to be tested material are added to the container. The container is then installed, for instance by adding the container to a respective container rack or by connecting all respective gas or electronic connections to a gas or power source. Optionally, in a further step the respective test parameters can be determined in a dedicated user interface utilized for controlling the test. For example, the user interface can allow to provide a user with respective measurements form the experiment volume, to set test parameters, like venting thresholds, to perform a manual venting control, etc. However, the test can also be performed without utilizing the dedicated user interface, for instance, by an automatic controlling using predetermined rules. If a user interface is utilized, in a next step test parameters can be set. For example, an aeriation interval can be set. The aeriation interval can be set to be based on time, an indicator threshold, for example, a specific gas concentration threshold, or manual, or a combination of these. Further, parameters like a measurement interval, a flask type, a flask-sample connection, a test duration, an aeriation duration, etc. can be set. After the parameters have been set to a respective specific value or to a default, the test can be started by starting the measurements of the indicators. For example, the pressure, temperature, humidity and CO2 concentration can be measured. The measured indicators can then be stored or directly uploaded to a user interface, for instance, a user application. If a respectively set trigger for venting is reached, for instance, if the CO2 concentration exceeds a set threshold, control signals are generated for controlling the venting. Moreover, a humidity threshold can also be set to trigger a warning and optionally also initiate the generating of venting control signals. For example, the control signals can cause first an opening of and outlet valve and then an opening of the inlet valve. After the preset aeriation time or after a further trigger for stopping the aeriation has been reached, the control signals can be generated for stopping the aeriation, for example, by first closing the inlet valve and then closing the outlet valve. Optionally, during the testing a sensor calibration can be performed. For example, an additional CO2 sensor with a higher accuracy than the CO2 sensors utilized in each container can be provided for a predetermined amount of container systems. In this optional embodiment, for instance, after a predetermined time or a predetermined amount of venting circles the vented gas of one or more of the containers belonging to the respective amount of containers is provided to an empty container comprising the more accurate sensor. The measurements of the more accurate sensor can be compared with the measurements of the sensor in the experiment volume of the respective container and can then be corrected based on the comparison. For an even more accurate correction the unknown gas in the conducts from the container to the empty container can be taken into account utilizing a respective algorithm and an iterative correction approach over more than one venting circle. This can be in particular advantageous for long time test in which a certain sensor drift or offset can be expected.

[0052] It can then be determined if the test has ended, for instance, if a predetermined test time is exceeded of if the material is degraded to a predetermined degree. If no the procedure for controlling the venting is repeated, if yes the test ends with the dismantlement of the experiment.

[0053] Fig. 5a and 5b show a measurement curve of a CO2 concentration during an experiment utilizing the above venting control in more detail. Fig. 5 a refers to a measured C02 con- centration curve for a container setup without a material sample and Fig. 5b shows a measured CO2 concentration for the same setup with a biodegrading material sample. Both measurement curves are exemplarily demonstrating the general principles such that utilized time and CO2 concentration axis are not provided with specific values. In both experimental setups, a predetermined CO2 concentration threshold was utilized to trigger a venting and aeration of the container. The threshold refers to the maximum of the shown curves. The venting itself was set to a time period too short to be shown on the curves. After each venting the CO2 concentration drops considerably to the base value, for instance, in ambient air. In the following the CO2 concentration then slowly rises again until again the threshold is reached. Fig. 5a shows clearly a slower rise of the CO2 concentration and thus less venting events if no biodegradation of a material is present. Thus, in case a biodegrading sample is present the CO2 concentration rises faster and more venting events are triggered. Moreover, it becomes clear that the automatic control allows for a stable and regular development of the CO2 concentration between the base value and the predetermined threshold.

[0054] In state of the art systems one CO2 sensor is provided for multiple measurement bottles outside of the experiment volume defined by the container. In this setting time dependent measurements of CO2 concentration is performed at distinct time points when air volume is extracted from container. The container is vented either in a continuous venting or manual venting manner.

[0055] As described above, the present invention provides for one or more sensors in the experiment volume per container. The provided sensor includes, for example, a sensor for CO2 concentration measurement, e.g. based on IR measurement and determination of CO2 concentration based on an IR spectrum. In addition sensors configured to measure humidity, pressure, and / or temperature may be used. All may be part of a sensor head inside the experiment volume. By placing the sensors in the experiment volume continuous measurements within the experiment volume are enabled. This allows for a more reliable control of the measurement conditions and a continuous measurement of the biodegradation itself. In addition by having sensor in the experiment volume the provided valves per container allows for a direct controlling of the air conditions per experiment volume. No aggregated air volume from multiple measurement volumes has to be used like in state of the art. Furthermore, the separate sensor set up as described above allows for a more flexible measurement setup with multiple containers, multiple materials and multiple habitats being measured in a test rag. It is not necessary to group containers or measurement runs according to a measurement protocol or regime as needs to be done according to state of the art setup with one sensor for multiple containers. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

[0056] For the processes and methods disclosed herein, the operations performed in the processes and methods may be implemented in differing order. Furthermore, the outlined operations are only provided as examples, and some of the operations may be optional, combined into fewer steps and operations, supplemented with further operations, or expanded into additional operations without detracting from the essence of the disclosed embodiments.

[0057] In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.

[0058] A single unit or device may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0059] Computational procedures like the receiving of measurement data, the controlling of the valves, etc. performed by one or several units or devices can be performed by any other number of units or devices. These procedures can be implemented as program code means of a computer program and / or as dedicated hardware.

[0060] A computer program product may be stored / distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium, supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in otherforms, such as via the Internet or otherwired or wireless telecommunication systems.

[0061] Any units described herein may be processing units that are part of a classical computing system. Processing units may include a general-purpose processor and may also include a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other specialized circuit. Any memory may be a physical system memory, which may be volatile, non-volatile, or some combination of the two. The term “memory” may include any computer-readable storage media such as a non-volatile mass storage. If the computing system is distributed, the processing and / or memory capability may be distributed as well. The computing system may include multiple structures as “executable components”. The term “executable component” is a structure well understood in the field of computing as being a structure that can be software, hardware, or a combination thereof. For instance, when implemented in software, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the structure of an executable component may include software objects, routines, methods, and so forth, that may be executed on the computing system. This may include both an executable component in the heap of a computing system, or on computer- readable storage media. The structure of the executable component may exist on a computer-readable medium such that, when interpreted by one or more processors of a computing system, e.g., by a processor thread, the computing system is caused to perform a function. Such structure may be computer readable directly by the processors, for instance, as is the case if the executable component were binary, or it may be structured to be interpretable and / or compiled, for instance, whether in a single stage or in multiple stages, so as to generate such binary that is directly interpretable by the processors. In other instances, structures may be hard coded or hard wired logic gates, that are implemented exclusively or near-exclusively in hardware, such as within a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other specialized circuit. Accordingly, the term “executable component” is a term for a structure that is well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of computing, whether implemented in software, hardware, or a combination. Any embodiments herein are described with reference to acts that are performed by one or more processing units of the computing system. If such acts are implemented in software, one or more processors direct the operation of the computing system in response to having executed computer-executable instructions that constitute an executable component. Computing system may also contain communication channels that allow the computing system to communicate with other computing systems over, for example, network. A “network” is defined as one or more data links that enable the transport of electronic data between computing systems and / or modules and / or other electronic devices. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection, for example, either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless, to a computing system, the computing system properly views the connection as a transmission medium. Transmission media can include a network and / or data links which can be used to carry desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general-purpose or specialpurpose computing system or combinations. While not all computing systems require a user interface, in some embodiments, the computing system includes a user interface system for use in interfacing with a user. User interfaces act as input or output mechanism to users for instance via displays.

[0062] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that at least parts of the invention may be practiced in network computing environments with many types of computing system configurations, including, personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, message processors, hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile telephones, PDAs, pagers, routers, switches, datacenters, wearables, such as glasses, and the like. The invention may also be practiced in distributed system environments where local and remote computing system, which are linked, for example, either by hardwired data links, wireless data links, or by a combination of hardwired and wireless data links, through a network, both perform tasks. In a distributed system environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

[0063] Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that at least parts of the invention may be practiced in a cloud computing environment. Cloud computing environments may be distributed, although this is not required. When distributed, cloud computing environments may be distributed internationally within an organization and / or have components possessed across multiple organizations. In this description and the following claims, “cloud computing” is defined as a model for enabling on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources, e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services. The definition of “cloud computing” is not limited to any of the other numerous advantages that can be obtained from such a model when deployed. The computing systems of the figures include various components or functional blocks that may implement the various embodiments disclosed herein as explained. The various components or functional blocks may be implemented on a local computing system or may be implemented on a distributed computing system that includes elements resident in the cloud or that implement aspects of cloud computing. The various components or functional blocks may be implemented as software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The computing systems shown in the figures may include more or less than the components illustrated in the figures and some of the components may be combined as circumstances warrant.

[0064] Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

[0065] The invention relates to a container system for biodegradation testing of a material associated with a chemical product in a predefined habitat. The system comprises a container for containing the material and the predefined habitat. Valves are connected to the container such that the container can be vented via the respective valves, wherein the connection between the valves and the container is configured such that the valves define an airtight experiment volume comprising the volume defined by the inside of the container. Sensors are provided for measuring one or more indicators for the biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container, wherein the one or more sensors are provided within the experiment volume.

Claims

Claims:1 . Container system for biodegradation testing of a material associated with a chemical product in a predefined habitat, wherein the system comprises: a container for containing the material and the predefined habitat, one or more valves connected to the container such that the container can be vented via the respective one or more valves, wherein the connection between the one or more valves and the container is configured such that the one or more valves define an airtight experiment volume comprising the volume defined by the inside of the container, and one or more sensors for measuring one or more indicators for the biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container, wherein the one or more sensors are provided within the experiment volume.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the container system is configured to automatically vent the container via the one or more valves based on the measurement of at least one of the one or more indicators.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an CO2 sensor a CH4 sensor and / or a O2 sensor, wherein the venting of the experiment volume is based on the measurement of at least one of a CO2 value, a CH4 value and a O2 value in the experiment volume, respectively.

4. The system according to any of the proceeding claims, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of a 02-sensor, a C02-sensor, and a CH4 sensor.

5. The system according to any of the proceeding claims, wherein the one or more sensors are provided within the volume defined by the container.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the volume defined by the inside of the container is closed by a cap and wherein the one or more sensors are attached to the cap such that one or more sensors are provided in the volume defined by the inside of the container or in the volume defined by the inside of the cap.

7. The system according to any of claims 5 and 6, wherein the cap comprises the one or more valves or is configured to connect to the one or more valves.

8. A laboratory system comprising a plurality of container systems according to any of claims 1 to 7 for measuring a biodegradation of materials in parallel.

9. The laboratory system according to claim 8, wherein each container is closed by a cap and wherein the caps are part of a cap bar comprising the caps of the containers.

10. The laboratory system according to claim 9, wherein the caps are provided by the cap bar in a predetermined pattern.

11. A cap for closing a volume defined by a container for biodegradation testing of a material associated with a chemical product in a predefined habitat, wherein the cap comprises: one or more sensors attached to the cap such that the one or more sensors are provided in a volume defined by the container or in the volume defined by the cap, and one or more valves for venting the container or connectors for connecting the cap to one or more valves for venting the container.

12. An apparatus for controlling the venting of the container of a container system according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the apparatus comprises: a measuring data receiving unit for receiving measurements provided by one or more sensors indicative of the one or more indicators for biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in a container of the container system, and a controlling unit for controlling the venting of the container by controlling the one or more valves based on the received measurements of the one or more indicators for biodegradation.

13. A computer-implemented method for controlling the venting of the container of a container system according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:receiving measurements provided by the one or more sensors, and controlling the venting of the container by controlling the one or more valves based on the received measurements.

14. Use of a container system according to any of claims 1 to 7 for experimental biodeg- radation testing of a chemical product.

15. A method for biodegradation testing of a material associated with a chemical product in a predefined habitat, wherein the method comprises: adding a material into the predefined habitat provided by a container of a container system according to any of claims 1 to 7 for containing the material and the prede- fined habitat, measuring one or more indicators for the biodegradation of the material in the predefined habitat in the container utilizing one or more sensors provided by the container system, and determining the biodegradation of the material based on the one or more measured indicators.

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