Acoustophoretic Device Concentrating Low Cell Density Suspensions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for separating therapeutic biological cells, such as T cells, from other materials often result in cell damage or destruction due to low concentrations and inefficient industrial processes, making it difficult to achieve effective therapeutic treatments.
Innovation Solution
The use of acoustophoretic systems that employ multi-dimensional acoustic standing waves to concentrate target cells within a host fluid, utilizing ultrasonic transducers and reflectors to create a flow chamber that increases cell concentration by up to 600 times the original concentration, allowing for efficient cell retention and separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional centrifugation or physical filter processes are used to separate cells, then separation is achieved, but cell damage or destruction occurs and efficiency is reduced due to low cell concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical separation methods (centrifugation, physical filtration) with acoustic field-based separation. Acoustic radiation forces act on cells in the flow stream to concentrate them without physical contact or high-stress mechanical forces, thereby maintaining cell integrity while achieving efficient separation through non-mechanical means
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an acoustic field as an intermediary between the cell suspension and the separation outcome. The acoustic standing wave creates radiation pressure that mediates cell concentration, allowing cells to be separated and concentrated without direct mechanical intervention that would cause damage
2Productivity
If low cell concentration suspensions are processed through conventional methods, then processing is performed, but the efficiency of industrial processes is reduced and therapeutic treatment efficacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary concentration of cells using acoustic radiation pressure before downstream processing. By pre-concentrating cells in the flow stream through acoustic trapping and aggregation, the system prepares a higher cell density feed for subsequent therapeutic processing, thereby improving overall process efficiency without requiring high initial cell concentrations
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively concentrates target cells, enhancing the efficiency of therapeutic treatments by maintaining high cell retention and reducing the volume of the host fluid, thereby improving the efficacy of downstream processing stages.
Implementation Method 1
at least one ultrasonic transducer coupled to the flow chamber to permit a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave to be generated in the flow chamber by the at least one ultrasonic transducer
Implementation Method 2
the target cells are concentrated in the multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave to a final concentration of at least 100 times their original cell concentration
Implementation Method 3
The at least one transducer includes a piezoelectric material configured to be driven to create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber
Implementation Method 4
A reflector across the flow chamber from the at least one ultrasonic transducer may be provided to reflect an ultrasonic signal to contribute to generating the multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave in the flow chamber
Data Source
AI summary
Acoustophoretic devices and methods for concentrating targeted biological cells in a reduced volume using multi-dimensional acoustic standing waves are disclosed. The methods include flowing a mixture of a host fluid and the biological cells through an acoustophoretic device. The acoustophoretic devices include an inlet, an outlet, and a flow chamber having an ultrasonic transducer-reflector pair. Biological cells, such as T cells, are separated from a host fluid for utilization in allergenic or autologous cell therapies. The disclosed devices and methods are capable of concentrating biological cells to at least 100 times their original cell concentration. The disclosed methods and devices are further capable of decreasing an original feed volume to a final concentrated volume that is less than one percent of the original feed volume.