Expandable Inner Liner Pump for Low-Shear Biopharma Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pumps used in biopharmaceutical production often cause damage to sensitive fluids due to high shear rates, turbulence, and complex maintenance, making them inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A dual-chamber pump system with an inner expandable liner and a secondary pump mechanism that uses a secondary fluid to gently pump primary fluids through compression and expansion, minimizing contact with the pumping system and reducing shear rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional pumps are used to transfer biopharmaceutical fluids, then pumping function is achieved, but damage to biological structures occurs due to high shear rates and turbulence
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into two independent chambers: a primary fluid chamber containing the biological fluid and an secondary fluid chamber containing the pumping medium. The primary pump unit handles only the sensitive biological fluid, while the secondary pump unit handles the pumping medium separately, preventing mechanical damage to biological structures while maintaining efficient pumping capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A secondary fluid acts as an intermediary to transfer energy to the primary fluid. The secondary pump compresses and expands the secondary fluid, which in turn compresses and expands the primary fluid chamber walls, moving the primary fluid without direct mechanical contact with pumping components, thereby reducing shear rates and turbulence.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If complex pumping mechanisms are used to achieve gentle fluid handling, then damage to biological structures is reduced, but maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump is divided into two independent, self-contained pump units (primary and secondary), each with its own chamber and components. This segmentation allows the primary pump to be simpler in design since it only needs to contain the primary fluid, while the secondary pump handles the mechanical work, making both units easier to maintain separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex mechanical pumping components are extracted into the secondary pump unit, separated from the primary fluid chamber. This allows the primary pump to have a simpler structure with fewer moving parts that could damage biological structures, while the secondary pump contains all the mechanical complexity that requires maintenance.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If expandable inner liner is used to reduce shear rates, then gentle fluid handling is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The primary fluid chamber is formed by an expandable inner liner that can be compressed and expanded. This flexible membrane allows the chamber volume to change in response to secondary fluid pressure, creating gentle compression and expansion of the primary fluid without rigid mechanical components, thereby reducing shear rates while the liner's simplicity offsets the added 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
The system provides gentle fluid handling with low shear rates, stable flow regimes, and easy maintenance, reducing damage to biological structures and enabling efficient, low-waste operation.
Implementation Method 1
When the secondary fluid is pumped out of the secondary fluid chamber, the inner liner expands to draw a primary fluid into the primary fluid chamber defined by the inner liner. When the secondary fluid is pumped into the secondary fluid chamber, the inner liner compresses to expel the primary fluid from the primary fluid chamber.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a pump system that includes a primary housing having a first part removably coupled to a second part. An intermediate liner is coupled to second part of the primary housing at a first cavity such that the intermediate liner and the first cavity define a secondary fluid chamber. An inner liner is arranged between the first and second parts of the primary housing, the inner liner being removable from the primary housing upon decoupling the first part from the second part of the primary housing. The inner liner defines a primary fluid chamber. A first side of the inner liner is proximate the first part of the primary housing. A second side of the inner liner is proximate the intermediate liner. A valve is coupled to a space between the second side of the inner liner and the intermediate liner to allow air to exit from the space.