Multi-Point Guide Bearing for Opaque Bioreactor Flow Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bioreactors with opaque walls lack reliable and precise methods for measuring fluid viscosity and Reynolds number, which are crucial for optimizing bioproduction processes due to the inability to use indirect optical measurements.
Innovation Solution
A guide bearing system with a central axis, incorporating a ring and angulation element, and distributed pressure sensors, allows for precise measurement of fluid pressure through a measurement rod, enabling determination of viscosity and Reynolds number.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If opaque walls are used in bioreactors for robustness and cost reasons, then device strength and ease of manufacture are improved, but measurement precision is worsened because indirect optical measurement means cannot penetrate the walls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary measurement system consisting of a measurement rod with pressure sensors that physically contacts the fluid through the bearing assembly. This intermediary device bridges the gap between the opaque wall constraint and the need for fluid state measurement, allowing viscosity and Reynolds number determination through pressure measurements at multiple angular positions without requiring optical penetration of the wall
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces optical measurement systems with a mechanical measurement system. Instead of using lasers or cameras that require light transmission through the wall, the invention employs a mechanical bearing assembly with pressure sensors that directly contact and measure the fluid's physical state through mechanical means, substituting optical fields with mechanical contact and pressure sensing
2Measurement precision
If measurement capsules are used in bioreactors with permanent fluid movements, then measurement capability is improved, but reliability is worsened because capsules cannot withstand the movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement system into a stationary bearing assembly mounted on the bioreactor wall and a movable measurement rod that extends into the fluid. This segmentation allows the robust stationary part to remain fixed and reliable while the measurement rod can move with the fluid, separating the functions of structural stability and fluid interaction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic capability through the measurement rod that can move angularly within the bearing assembly. The rod is constrained by the bearing to move only in controlled angular positions while allowing axial movement, enabling the system to adapt to fluid movements dynamically without compromising the reliability of the stationary bearing structure
3Measurement precision
If indirect optical measurement means are used in bioreactors with transparent walls, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity is worsened due to equipment cost and setup requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from complex external optical systems and integrates it directly into a simple bearing assembly mounted on the bioreactor wall. The pressure sensors and measurement rod are taken out from the fluid and positioned within the bearing, simplifying the overall system while maintaining measurement capability through direct mechanical contact
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing assembly serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support for the measurement rod, constrains angular movement to discrete positions, enables pressure measurements at multiple angular locations, and allows axial movement of the rod. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall measurement system
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
Enables real-time dynamic management of bioproduction processes by providing accurate fluid state data, allowing for adjustments in agitation and other parameters, even in opaque-walled bioreactors.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of pressure sensors connected to one another and each designed to measure a point of pressure exerted by a contact point of the tube in one of its angular positions
Data Source
AI summary
Guide bearing with multiple pressure measurement points, System for measuring the viscosity or the Reynolds number of a fluid, with a rod guided by the bearing, Application to monitoring in bio-production. A guide bearing of central axis (X), including a ring, intended to be mounted tightly in a holding structure, the inner surface of which is designed for assembling with a clearance fit, and preferably guiding in translation along the axis X, a tube intended to constitute a measurement rod; an angulation element formed integrally or fixed inside the inner surface of the ring by protruding into it, so as to form an angulation axis of the tube relative to the axis X; a plurality of pressure sensors each designed to measure a point of pressure exerted by a contact point of the tube in one of its angular positions, the pressure sensors being distributed along the inner surface of the ring, on either side of the angulation element.