Freeze Drying Bacteria Concentrate Using High Temperature and Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
The freeze-drying process for bacteria-containing suspensions is inefficient due to cell damage and prolonged processing times, leading to high costs and loss of viable cells, primarily during the primary drying stage, where maintaining low temperatures to prevent product collapse results in prolonged cycles.
Innovation Solution
A novel freeze-drying process involving higher temperatures (55-90°C) and pressures (0.2-2.0 mBar) to enhance the efficiency of the drying process without compromising cell viability or biological activity, including the use of cryoprotectants and stabilizers like inosine, inositol, and trehalose, and a washing step to improve the water activity of the final product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If low temperature and low pressure conditions are applied during freeze-drying to prevent product collapse, then product quality and stability are improved, but processing time is significantly prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by increasing both temperature and pressure during freeze-drying compared to conventional methods. Specifically, the process uses temperatures of 55-90°C and pressures of 0.2-2.0 mBar, which are higher than traditional low-temperature freeze-drying conditions. This parameter change allows faster processing while maintaining product quality through the synergistic effect of higher temperature accelerating sublimation and higher pressure preventing collapse.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs beforehand cushioning by adding cryoprotectants and stabilizers (such as inosine, inositol, and trehalose) to the bacteria-containing concentrate before freeze-drying. These additives form a protective matrix around the bacterial cells, cushioning them against the mechanical stresses of freeze-drying and preventing product collapse even under the more aggressive high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, thus enabling faster processing without quality loss.
2Reliability
If conventional freeze-drying conditions are used to preserve bacterial integrity, then cell damage is minimized, but productivity is reduced due to prolonged processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the freeze-drying parameters to higher temperature (55-90°C) and higher pressure (0.2-2.0 mBar) ranges, which accelerates the primary drying stage and significantly reduces processing time from days to hours, thereby improving productivity while maintaining cell viability through the protective effect of cryoprotectants.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cryoprotectants and stabilizers as intermediary substances that mediate between the harsh freeze-drying conditions and the bacterial cells. These intermediaries (inosine, inositol, trehalose) form a protective environment around the cells, allowing them to withstand the higher temperature and pressure conditions while enabling faster processing, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
3Productivity
If higher temperature and pressure are applied during freeze-drying to reduce processing time, then productivity is improved, but product quality may deteriorate due to potential cell damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent systematically changes the freeze-drying parameters to higher temperature (55-90°C) and higher pressure (0.2-2.0 mBar) ranges, which accelerates ice sublimation and reduces processing time. The quality is maintained through the synergistic combination of these parameter changes with the presence of cryoprotectants that protect cellular structures during the more aggressive drying process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating cryoprotectants and stabilizers into the bacteria-containing concentrate before freeze-drying. These substances form a protective matrix that cushions the bacterial cells against thermal and mechanical stresses during the high-temperature, high-pressure freeze-drying process, thereby maintaining product quality while enabling faster processing.
4Device complexity
If conventional freeze-drying methods are used, then equipment complexity is low, but manufacturing cost increases due to extended processing time and energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the freeze-drying parameters to higher temperature and pressure ranges, which dramatically reduces processing time from days to hours. Although this requires modification of existing freeze-drying equipment to accommodate higher temperatures and pressures, the reduced processing time leads to lower overall energy consumption and higher throughput, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining reasonable equipment complexity.
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
This process results in a faster, more efficient, and cost-effective method for producing highly concentrated bacteria suspensions with improved storage stability and viability, achieving lower water activity and higher cell survival rates compared to conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a heating plate temperature in the range of 55 to 90 degrees C
Implementation Method 2
the primary drying, or ice sublimation, stage of freeze drying process
Implementation Method 3
freeze-drying said frozen bacteria-containing concentrate obtained in step iv)
Implementation Method 4
a pressure in the range of 0.2 to 2.0 mBar
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a process for freeze drying a bacteria-containing concentrate. Further, the present invention relates to the freeze dried concentrates per se.