Aseptically Connectable Sensor Patch for Bioreactor Bags
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing single-use bioreactor systems face challenges in aseptically connecting sensors to bioreactor bags, as many sensors cannot be sterilized using the same methods as the bags, and this limits the flexibility and sterility of sensor integration.
Innovation Solution
The development of aseptic connection units that allow sensors to be separately packaged and sterilized, enabling them to be connected aseptically to bioreactor bags without compromising sterility or requiring additional ports on the bag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors are integrated with the bioreactor bag via welded ports, then the connection is secure and sterile, but the sensors cannot be sterilized by different methods than the bag and require additional ports on the bag
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the sensor integration into separate components: a sensor assembly that can be sterilized independently and a connection unit that interfaces with the bioreactor bag. This segmentation allows each component to be sterilized by appropriate methods for its materials, resolving the contradiction between maintaining sterility and enabling flexible sterilization approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
A connection unit serves as an intermediary component between the sensor assembly and the bioreactor bag. This intermediary enables aseptic connection without requiring welded ports in the bag, allowing sensors to be sterilized separately while maintaining system sterility through the connection unit's design.
2Strength
If sensors are integrated via welded ports on the bioreactor bag, then the connection is permanent and secure, but the number of ports on the bag increases and sensor damage from bag folding cannot be eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into a removable connection unit that interfaces with the bag and a sensor assembly. This allows the sensor system to be connected securely during use while requiring minimal permanent modifications to the bag, reducing the number of ports needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor assembly is nested within a connection unit that provides protection and interface functionality. This nested structure allows the sensors to be housed securely while the connection unit interfaces with the bag, reducing the need for multiple separate ports.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If sensors are integrated via welded ports, then the connection is permanent, but sensors are vulnerable to damage from bag folding and cannot be easily replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the sensors from the bioreactor bag into distinct modular components. The sensor assembly can be connected and disconnected from the bag via the connection unit, providing permanence during use while enabling easy replacement and protecting sensors from damage during bag handling and folding.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection unit acts as an intermediary that protects the sensor assembly from mechanical stresses including bag folding. This intermediary component absorbs the mechanical interface between the flexible bag and the rigid sensor components, preventing damage while maintaining secure connection during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention discloses a first connection unit having a plurality of sensor surfaces and which is adapted to be aseptically connected to a second connection unit mounted e.g. on a flexible bioreactor bag.