Continuous Polymer Synthesizer Rotating Stage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oligonucleotide synthesis methods face inefficiencies due to idle time and downtime in large-scale manufacturing, as multiple synthesizers wait for individual incubation steps to complete and require frequent reagent reloading, leading to interruptions in the synthesis process.
Innovation Solution
A continuous synthesis system with a stage of reaction sites and stations for reagent dispensing and imaging, where a control system moves the stage or stations to ensure sequential communication with dispensing and imaging stations, allowing uninterrupted synthesis and simultaneous processing of multiple reactions by completing one reaction before initiating another at a different site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple synthesizers are employed to achieve high throughput, then productivity increases, but idle time and downtime increase due to waiting for incubation steps and reagent reloading
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous synthesis by maintaining reaction vessels on a rotating stage that continuously pass through all synthesis stations. Reactions proceed without interruption as vessels are constantly moved through the cycle, eliminating idle waiting time between steps. The continuous rotation ensures that while one vessel is incubating, another is being reagented, and another is being monitored, maximizing productive action at all times.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares multiple reaction vessels in advance by loading them onto the rotating stage before synthesis begins. All necessary reagents are pre-positioned at their respective stations. This preliminary preparation ensures that when synthesis starts, no time is lost during the process for loading or setup, as everything is ready beforehand and the system can operate continuously.
2Productivity
If multiple synthesizers are employed to achieve high throughput, then productivity increases, but downtime increases due to frequent reagent reloading
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating stage system eliminates downtime by ensuring continuous operation. Reaction vessels never stop moving through the synthesis cycle, and reagent delivery is continuous as vessels pass through dispensing stations. The system is designed so that reagent reloading occurs without interrupting the synthesis flow, as multiple vessels are in different stages of the cycle simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The synthesis process is segmented into discrete stations (detritylation, coupling, capping, oxidation, monitoring) arranged around the rotating stage. Each station handles a specific function, and multiple reaction vessels are distributed across different stations simultaneously. This segmentation allows independent operation of each station and eliminates bottlenecks, as one station can service multiple vessels in parallel without causing downtime.
3Manufacturing precision
If individual incubation steps are performed sequentially, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but productivity decreases due to waiting time
Solution Approach 1:
The synthesis process is divided into discrete, sequential stations (detritylation, coupling, capping, oxidation, monitoring) arranged around the rotating stage. Each station performs one specific step with controlled timing and conditions, maintaining manufacturing precision. The segmentation allows each step to be optimized independently while the overall system achieves high throughput through parallel processing of multiple vessels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from sequential processing of single vessels to parallel processing across multiple vessels by adding the spatial dimension of the rotating stage. Multiple reaction vessels are positioned at different angular positions around the stage, allowing simultaneous execution of different synthesis steps at different stations. This dimensional change enables maintaining precise sequential control at each station while achieving high overall productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a system and method for synthesizing polymeric molecules such as oligonucleotides and polypeptides. The system is capable of continuously synthesizing molecules by providing an array of reaction sites and an array of stations for carrying out synthetic manipulations. The reaction sites in the former array can be placed in a fixed order and at fixed intervals relative to each other. Similarly, the stations can be placed in a fixed order and at fixed intervals relative to each other. The two arrays can be moved relative to each other such that the stations carry out desired steps of a reaction scheme at each reaction site. The relative locations of the stations and the schedule for the relative movement can correlate with the order and duration of reaction steps in the reaction scheme such that once a reaction site has completed a cycle of interacting with the full array of stations then the reaction scheme is complete.