Flexible Elastomeric Tube Ports for Bioreactor Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional tube ports in bioreactors are rigid and inflexible, leading to difficulties in sealing and potential damage to flexible containers, and sampling methods often provide misrepresentative fluid samples by withdrawing from the container perimeter rather than the center.

Innovation Solution

The development of flexible tubular stem tube ports with a flange and flexible sampling ports, which include an elongated support and sampling tube coupled together, allowing for easier use with flexible containers, improved sealing, and more representative sampling by extending into the container center.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If rigid ports are used in bioreactors, then sealing and structural stability are improved, but flexibility and risk of damage to flexible containers increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesealingVSAvoidflexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies this principle by making the port itself flexible rather than rigid. The flexible port can be folded with the flexible container, eliminating the contradiction between needing reliable sealing and maintaining flexibility for folding and storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies this principle by making the port dynamic and adaptable to the flexible container's movements. The port flexes and folds with the container, allowing the system to maintain both sealing reliability and flexibility during operation and storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If rigid ports are used, then structural stability is improved, but ease of sealing around tubes and structures deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidease of sealing

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible port material allows easy sealing around tubes and structures by conforming to their shapes, while still providing sufficient structural stability for bioreactor operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the material parameter from rigid to flexible, which simultaneously improves ease of sealing while maintaining adequate structural stability for the application.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If sampling is performed at the container perimeter, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of samplingVSAvoidsample representativeness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The sampling port extends in the radial dimension from the container wall toward the center, allowing samples to be taken from deeper within the container volume rather than only at the perimeter, thereby improving sample representativeness while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS7879599B2Tube ports and related container systems

Publication Date: 2011.02.01 LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORP

AI summary

A tube port includes a tubular first stem having an interior surface and an exterior surface extending between a first end and a longitudinally spaced apart second end. The interior surface bounds a passage that longitudinally extends through the first stem. The tube port also includes a flange encircling and radially outwardly projecting from the first end of the first stem. The flange and the first stem are integrally formed as a unitary member comprised of a flexible elastomeric material having a durometer on a Shore A scale with a value of less than 90.