Chromatography Column Separator for Partial Material Replacement

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current chromatography methods face challenges in efficiently replacing chromatography material in chromatography columns without disrupting the entire packing, leading to increased backpressure and reduced separation efficiency, especially when dealing with polypeptide purification where high pressure limits the operational lifespan of chromatography material.

Innovation Solution

A chromatography column separator with a guide ring and frit system allows for the separation of the column into upper and lower chambers, enabling the exchange of chromatography material in the upper chamber without affecting the lower chamber, reducing backpressure and extending the operational lifespan of the chromatography material.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If chromatography material is replaced in the entire column, then separation efficiency is restored, but operational time and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseparation efficiencyVSAvoidoperational time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The chromatography column is divided into multiple separable sections by introducing a separator element with frits that creates distinct chambers. This allows the column to be segmented into upper and lower sections that can be independently accessed and maintained, enabling partial material replacement without disrupting the entire column.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The separator element with frits is extracted as a removable component that divides the column into independent chambers. This extraction allows operators to access and replace chromatography material in specific sections (e.g., upper chamber) while leaving other sections (e.g., lower chamber) intact and operational.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If chromatography material is compressed to increase throughput, then productivity increases, but backpressure increases and material lifespan decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovethroughputVSAvoidmaterial lifespan

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The column is segmented into multiple chambers by the separator element, creating distinct compression zones. This allows different sections of chromatography material to experience different pressure conditions, enabling optimized throughput in one section while preserving material lifespan in another section that operates at lower pressure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If chromatography material is replaced frequently, then separation efficiency is maintained, but operational cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseparation efficiencyVSAvoidmaterial cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The column is divided into separable chambers that allow selective replacement of chromatography material. Operators can replace only the portion of material that has degraded (e.g., upper chamber material) while retaining functional material in other chambers (e.g., lower chamber), significantly reducing material costs compared to replacing the entire column content.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The separator element with frits serves as a permanent, recoverable structure that remains in the column while only the chromatography material is replaced. This allows the separator to be reused indefinitely, discarding only the depleted material portions and recovering the structural dividing elements for continued use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

4Reliability

If column length is increased to improve separation, then separation efficiency increases, but backpressure increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseparation efficiencyVSAvoidbackpressure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The column is segmented into multiple chambers by separator elements, creating discrete sections along the column length. This segmentation allows the total column length to be extended while distributing the pressure drop across multiple independent chambers, preventing excessive backpressure buildup that would occur in a single continuous long column.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10052567B2Moveable chromatography column separator

Publication Date: 2018.08.21 F HOFFMANN LA ROCHE INC

AI summary

The current invention is directed to a chromatography column separator which separates the chromatography column in an upper chromatography column chamber and a lower chromatography column chamber, and which has a variable position within the chromatography column, and which is embedded by the chromatography material. The separator allows the replacement of the chromatography material in the upper chromatography column chamber without the need to replace the chromatography column material in the lower chromatography column chamber and it allows also the combination of two different chromatography materials with different chromatographical functional groups in one chromatography column.