Disposable Jet Impingement Reactor for Aseptic Nanoparticle Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing jet impingement reactors are complex, costly, and require extensive cleaning protocols, making them inefficient for rapid and reproducible production of nanoparticles with desired particle size distributions and morphology, especially in aseptic conditions.
Innovation Solution
A jet impingement reactor designed with a spherical reaction chamber and polymeric components, assembled from two pieces that can be efficiently manufactured through injection molding, allowing for precise nozzle placement and easy adaptation to different fluid inlet sizes, and is disposable for aseptic small-batch production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional jet impingement reactors with metallic bodies and complex cleaning protocols are used, then reliable nanoparticle production is achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the disposable principle by designing a reactor housing made of polymeric material that can be sterilized and discarded after a single use. This eliminates the need for complex cleaning protocols and extensive sterilization procedures required by metallic reactors, while maintaining reliable nanoparticle production. The disposable nature reduces device complexity and manufacturing cost significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from metallic to polymeric, which fundamentally alters the reactor's properties. This material substitution enables simplified manufacturing through injection molding, reduces cleaning requirements, and maintains functional reliability for nanoparticle production while lowering overall device complexity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If extensive cleaning protocols and sterilization procedures are implemented, then aseptic production conditions are maintained, but production time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable polymeric reactor housing is pre-sterilized and can be discarded after single use, eliminating the need for time-consuming cleaning and sterilization protocols between batches. This maintains aseptic production conditions while dramatically reducing production time and operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The reactor is pre-sterilized during manufacturing before reaching the user. This preliminary sterilization action ensures aseptic conditions are already established, eliminating the need for time-consuming on-site sterilization procedures and immediately reducing production time.
3Manufacturing precision
If metallic reactor bodies with precise machining are used, then manufacturing precision is achieved, but manufacturing cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing method parameter from precision machining to injection molding. This enables the polymeric reactor housing to achieve sufficient manufacturing precision for nozzle placement and assembly alignment while dramatically improving ease of manufacture and reducing both cost and time requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of polymeric material allows for integration of multiple components (housing, mounting features, sealing surfaces) into a single molded part, achieving the necessary precision through the molding process itself rather than requiring separate machining operations, thereby simplifying manufacturing.
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 reactor enables cost-effective, rapid, and reproducible production of nanoparticles with controlled particle size distribution, reducing the need for sterilization and complex cleaning protocols, and facilitating flexible process development.
Implementation Method 1
two streams are injected such as to meet inside the reaction chamber and form the collision or mixing zone
Implementation Method 2
the solvent/non-solvent precipitation in which a first fluid including the active ingredient dissolved in a suitable solvent is contacted with a non-solvent or antisolvent under defined conditions results in the precipitation of the nanoparticles containing the active ingredient
Data Source
AI summary
A jet impingement reactor having a housing made of a polymeric material, including at least two housing pieces that are affixed to one another. The housing encloses a substantially spherical reaction chamber having at least two fluid inlets provided by nozzles and a fluid outlet. Further provided are methods for making the reactor based on injection molding, as well as the use of the reactor for the aseptic manufacture of a sterile liquid pharmaceutical compositions, in particular compositions including nanoparticles such as lipid nanoparticles.