Filter Capsule Venting for Closed Bioprocess Solution Mixing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for reconstituting bioprocess solutions from dry ingredients are time-consuming, expensive, and prone to errors and contamination, with air displacement and slow filtration flow due to unvented gas in mixing devices.
Innovation Solution
An automated system using a filter unit with a hydrophilic filter, defoaming device, and hydrophobic vent filter to sterilize and vent gas efficiently, ensuring consistent and reliable preparation of liquid solutions from dry ingredients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gas is not vented during reconstitution, then the mixing device maintains a closed system, but air displaces the solution and slows or stops flow through filtration membranes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gas venting function from the closed mixing system by incorporating a vent filter that selectively removes gas while retaining liquid. The vent filter is positioned to allow gas to escape from the mixing chamber during reconstitution, preventing air displacement of the solution and maintaining proper flow rates through the filtration membrane.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent filter acts as an intermediary component between the closed mixing system and the external environment. It mediates the removal of gas while preventing contamination, allowing the system to maintain its closed architecture while still enabling necessary gas venting to prevent solution displacement and flow obstruction.
2Productivity
If manual reconstitution methods are used, then device complexity is reduced, but preparation time and labor increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The automated mixing apparatus performs preliminary actions including automated powder delivery, liquid addition, mixing, and filtration. The system is pre-configured with all necessary components (powder reservoir, liquid reservoir, mixing chamber, vent filter, and filtration membrane) to execute the reconstitution process automatically, eliminating manual intervention and significantly reducing preparation time and labor.
3Reliability
If manual reconstitution is performed, then equipment cost is reduced, but risk of error and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated mixing apparatus performs self-service functions including automated mixing, self-filtration through the integrated filtration membrane, and self-venting through the vent filter. The system maintains a closed architecture that automatically prevents contamination without requiring manual intervention, thereby reducing error and contamination risks while justifying the increased device complexity through improved reliability.
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 system reduces preparation time, labor, and risk of contamination while maintaining a closed system, ensuring efficient and consistent production of bioprocess solutions.
Implementation Method 1
The hydrophilic filter is configured to receive a fluid including a liquid and gas. The hydrophilic filter is further configured to sterilize the liquid.
Implementation Method 2
The hydrophobic vent filter further includes a vent and a membrane configured to separate an interior of the filter unit from an exterior of the filter unit, the gas being vented from the filter unit by flowing across the membrane and out of the vent.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of preparing a bioprocess solution includes producing a mixture of liquid and air by hydrating a powder separating the liquid from the air by providing the mixture to a first filter capsule and allowing the liquid to flow to an outlet across a hydrophilic membrane of the first filter capsule while directing the air upwards along the first filter capsule toward a second filter capsule arranged above the first filter capsule, and venting the air from the second filter capsule by allowing the air to flow through a hydrophobic membrane of the second filter capsule.