Automated Clamp Plate Cleaning Device for Bioreactor Vessels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current clamp plate cleaning systems for bioreactors are cumbersome, costly, and pose health risks due to small conduit sizes and lack of feedback on cleaning success, leading to frequent replacement and potential experiment failures.
Innovation Solution
A plate cleaning device with a plate seat member, cover member, valve units, fluid terminals, and a control unit that allows for controlled and monitored cleaning sequences using water, alcohol, and pressurized gas to efficiently clean and dry the clamp plate conduits, with a cleanness evaluation arrangement to ensure thoroughness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual cleaning procedures are used for clamp plates, then cleaning can be performed, but the process is cumbersome, non-standardized, and lacks feedback on cleaning success
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp plate cleaning device performs automated cleaning operations without requiring manual intervention in the cleaning process itself. The system automatically applies cleaning agents, activates ultrasonic vibrations, and executes drying cycles through integrated pump and valve mechanisms, transforming a manual task into an autonomous process that eliminates operator exposure to harmful aerosols while maintaining standardized procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors and control mechanisms that monitor cleaning effectiveness in real-time. The control unit receives feedback from sensors detecting residue presence, fluid flow characteristics, and drying progress, automatically adjusting cleaning parameters or initiating repeat cycles until contamination-free conditions are achieved, providing objective verification of cleaning success
2Reliability
If clamp plates are replaced frequently due to contamination, then experiment continuity is maintained, but costs increase and resource efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device employs variable cleaning parameters including adjusted fluid flow rates, modified ultrasonic vibration amplitudes, and controlled temperature variations to optimize the cleaning process for different contamination levels. The system can intensify cleaning actions when sensors detect heavier contamination or extend drying cycles to ensure complete moisture removal, thereby maintaining reliable contamination-free conditions while reducing unnecessary replacements
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical cleaning actions with automated ultrasonic vibration mechanisms and fluid delivery systems. Ultrasonic waves generate cavitation and mechanical oscillations that effectively remove residues from conduit surfaces without physical contact, while integrated pumps and valves control fluid application with precision, achieving more consistent and thorough cleaning compared to manual methods
3Manufacturing precision
If small conduit sizes are used in clamp plates, then system precision is improved, but cleaning difficulty and health risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system utilizes pressurized fluid delivery through the same small conduits to flush residues and a vacuum system to remove loosened particles and drying fluids. The pump and vacuum mechanisms generate controlled pressure differentials that effectively clean narrow passages without requiring manual disassembly or exposure to harmful substances, thereby maintaining conduit precision while eliminating operator health risks through automated closed-loop processing
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 device extends the reusability of clamp plates, reduces costs, and ensures contamination-free conditions, preventing experiment failures by providing a standardized and reproducible cleaning process that ensures the cleanliness of the bioreactor system components.
Implementation Method 1
a ultrasonic vibration unit configured to generate ultrasonic vibrations in the clamp plate conduits
Implementation Method 2
a pressurized gas vessel configured to provide pressurized gas to the clamp plate conduits for drying the conduits
Data Source
AI summary
A plate cleaning device (1) for cleaning a clamp plate of a fermenter, wherein the clamp plate has a plurality of receptacles each configured to hold a bioreactor vessel, and at least one conduit with a conduit opening per receptacle. The device comprises a plate seat member (3), a cover member (2), a plurality of valve units (4), a first fluid terminal (71), a second fluid terminal (74) and a control unit (9). The plate seat member (3) is configured to hold the clamp plate (6) in a predefined position and orientation. The cover member (2) is configured to close the plate seat member (3) such that the clamp plate (6) is tightly enclosed by the plate seat member (3) and the cover member (2). The plurality of valve units (4) is configured to be coupled to the cover member (2) such that at least one valve unit (4) is associated to each of the conduit openings (62) of the clamp plate (6). The first fluid terminal (71) is configured to receive a first fluid container and the second fluid terminal (74) to receive a second fluid container. The cover member (2) is equipped with channels each having a first open end and a second open end. Each of the first open ends of the channels of the cover member (2) is positioned to be connected to one of the conduit openings (62) of the clamp plate (6). The valve units (4) are configured to be coupled to the second open ends of the channels of the plate such that all of the at least one conduit openings (62) per receptacle are associated to one valve (4). The first fluid terminal (71) and the second fluid terminal (74) are coupled to each of the valve units (4). The control unit (9) is configured to selectively connect the first fluid terminal (71) and the second fluid terminal (74) to the second open ends of the channels of the cover member (2).