Biopharmaceutical Dispensing Manifold With Low-Temperature Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dispensing techniques for biopharmaceutical materials expose them to open-air and manual handling uncertainties, leading to contamination risks and potential container breakage due to extreme cold, especially when frozen.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a distribution manifold with conduits and a filter assembly, along with low-temperature silicone stoppers and hydrophobic filters, ensures controlled and sealed transfer of biopharmaceutical materials to containers, minimizing contamination and ensuring robustness at low temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If manual transfer of biopharmaceutical materials is performed in a clean environment, then contamination risk is reduced, but labor intensity and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated dispensing system with a manifold and multiple conduits as intermediaries between the bulk reservoir and individual containers. This automated infrastructure eliminates manual handling while maintaining sterile conditions, thereby reducing contamination risk without requiring complex manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical transfer operations with an automated fluid delivery system. The manifold and conduit network automatically distributes biopharmaceutical materials to multiple containers simultaneously, eliminating the need for manual cap removal, pumping, and sealing operations while maintaining sanitary conditions.
2Ease of operation
If biopharmaceutical materials are handled in open-air conditions, then ease of operation is improved, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a closed, sterile environment through the manifold system and sealed conduits that isolates the biopharmaceutical materials from open-air exposure. The system maintains a controlled atmosphere throughout the dispensing process, allowing easy operation while preventing contamination from the external environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifold and conduit system serve as intermediaries that bridge the gap between the bulk reservoir and containers without exposing materials to open air. This intermediate infrastructure enables ease of operation through automated fluid transfer while maintaining a closed sterile environment.
3Device complexity
If conventional dispensing methods are used, then device complexity is reduced, but container breakage risk increases due to extreme cold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs low-temperature silicone stoppers that change their physical properties to remain flexible and sealed at extreme cold temperatures. This material parameter change allows the stoppers to maintain container seals during freezing without causing container breakage, while the automated system keeps the overall device complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite sealing solutions combining low-temperature silicone stoppers with the manifold and conduit system. This composite approach provides both the simplicity of an integrated system and the reliability of specialized materials that prevent container breakage at low temperatures.
4Device complexity
If manual pumping of biopharmaceutical materials is performed, then device complexity is reduced, but contamination risk increases due to exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual pumping operations with an automated fluid delivery system through the manifold and conduits. This substitution eliminates exposure during transfer operations while maintaining relatively simple device architecture, thereby reducing contamination risk without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated manifold system enables continuous, controlled fluid transfer from the bulk reservoir to multiple containers simultaneously. This continuous action eliminates the start-stop nature of manual pumping and reduces exposure opportunities, maintaining system simplicity while improving contamination prevention.
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
The system reduces contamination risks and maintains container integrity during freezing, providing a reliable and sanitary dispensing process.
Implementation Method 1
a low temperature silicone stopper integrated into the cap and surrounding the discharge conduit
Implementation Method 2
The system may include a manifold, a plurality of containers, and a filter assembly. The filter assembly may include a hydrophobic filter.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for dispensing biopharmaceutical materials, the system including: a plurality of containers, wherein each of the plurality of containers comprises a screw-on cap having a low temperature silicone stopper; a distribution manifold connected to the plurality of containers, wherein the distribution manifold comprises a plurality of distribution conduits and a plurality of discharge conduits and wherein the distribution conduits and the discharge conduits are in fluid communication with each other; a bulk reservoir for holding the biopharmaceutical materials; and a filter assembly positioned between the bulk reservoir and the distribution manifold.