Crossflow Filtration Distributor Plate Vertical Channel Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing crossflow filtration cassettes face challenges with incomplete drainage due to horizontal channels in distributor plates, which complicates sanitization and product recovery in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A distributor plate design with parallel feed, retentate, and permeate channels, featuring acutely angled permeate connector channels and circular apertures, facilitates easy cleaning, drainage, and deaeration, while being easy to manufacture and withstand high clamping pressures, and a housing configuration that allows for efficient fluid communication and drainage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If horizontal channels are used in the distributor plate, then the channel system can supply feed and collect retentate and permeate, but incomplete drainage occurs leaving pools of remaining liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The distributor plate inverts the conventional horizontal channel design by implementing substantially vertical channels that extend from the first surface to the second surface of the plate. This inversion allows complete drainage by eliminating horizontal pooling areas, ensuring that liquid flows directly down and can be fully drained between runs, thereby improving both drainage efficiency and sanitization reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional horizontal channel layout to a three-dimensional vertical channel configuration. The vertical channels penetrate through the thickness of the plate, creating a depth dimension that enables complete fluid evacuation. This dimensional change ensures no deadlegs remain, allowing total area utilization in air integrity tests and complete drainage between filtration runs.
2Ease of operation
If complex channel systems are implemented to improve drainage, then drainage properties improve, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The distributor plate is segmented into distinct functional zones with dedicated vertical channels for feed supply, retentate collection, and permeate collection. Each channel type is separately configured and positioned, allowing independent optimization of each function while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity through modular channel design.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the distributor plate are assigned specific channel configurations tailored to local functional requirements. Feed channels are positioned at the feed inlet port, retentate channels at the retentate outlet port, and permeate channels at permeate outlet ports, with each local area optimized for its specific fluid handling task while maintaining vertical drainage throughout.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention discloses a distribution plate for supplying crossflow filtration cassettes, which comprises a surface, two opposite end walls, two opposite side walls, a feed channel in fluid communication with a feed inlet port and with a plurality of feed apertures; a retentate channel in fluid communication with a retentate outlet port, and with a plurality of retentate apertures; and a permeate channel in fluid communication with two permeate outlet ports and with a plurality of permeate apertures;wherein the feed channel, the retentate channel and the permeate channel extend in a direction essentially parallel with one or both side walls;wherein the feed apertures are grouped at a first area on the surface, the retentate apertures are grouped at a second area on the surface;wherein the permeate apertures are located at the first and/or the second area; andwherein a plurality of permeate connector channels extend inside the plate from at least one region of the permeate channel, adjacent the permeate outlet ports and the permeate connector channels provide fluidic communication between the permeate apertures and the permeate channel.