Microfluidic Cell Deactivation Device with Thin Lid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in effectively deactivating cells, particularly pathogens, within complex drug products using continuous end-line processes, especially in ensuring uniform fluid distribution and efficient cell deactivation without causing clumping or clogging in microfluidic channels.
Innovation Solution
A cell deactivation device featuring a container with microfluidic channels, a thin lid for electron beam transmission, and a distribution manifold that ensures uniform fluid distribution, using low energy electron irradiation to deactivate cells and prevent replication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional container design is used for cell deactivation, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the electron beam cannot effectively penetrate into the fluid to deactivate cells
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is designed as a thin film structure with thickness less than 150 microns, allowing electron beam penetration while maintaining container integrity. This thin film approach enables the electron beam to pass through and deactivate cells in the fluid without requiring complex window structures or multiple components.
2Reliability
If fluid distribution channels have sharp edges where adjacent channels connect, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the fluid flow becomes non-uniform causing cell clumping and clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid distribution channels incorporate rounded edges at connection points between adjacent channels. This curvature design smooths fluid flow transitions, prevents turbulence and cell clumping, and eliminates dead zones where cells could accumulate. The rounded geometry maintains manufacturability while significantly improving flow uniformity across the distribution manifold.
3Reliability
If the lid thickness is increased to provide structural strength, then the container is more durable, but the electron beam penetration is blocked reducing deactivation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is designed as a thin film structure with thickness specifically optimized to less than 150 microns. This thin film provides sufficient structural integrity for container operation while allowing high-energy electron beams to penetrate effectively and deactivate cells throughout the fluid volume. The thin film design eliminates the need for thick lids that would block electron transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The container utilizes composite material construction, particularly in the lid assembly, combining materials that provide both mechanical strength and electron beam transparency. This composite approach allows the lid to maintain structural durability while remaining transparent to electron radiation, achieving both strength and transmission requirements simultaneously.
4Reliability
If microfluidic channels have high aspect ratio (narrow and deep), then the cell deactivation volume is maximized, but the fluid flow becomes unstable causing clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The microfluidic channels are designed with optimized aspect ratios that balance volume maximization with flow stability. Rather than uniformly narrow and deep channels that would cause clogging, the design incorporates locally varied dimensions where channel width and depth are tuned to maintain laminar flow while providing sufficient deactivation volume. The rounded connection edges further stabilize flow in high-aspect-ratio regions.
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 device achieves efficient cell deactivation with minimal impact on biological activity, ensuring uniform flow and preventing cell clumping, thereby producing sterilized biological samples and inactivated vaccines effectively.
Implementation Method 1
an irradiation source configured to generate an electron beam and transmit the electron beam through the lid of the cell deactivation container and into a fluid passing through the plurality of microfluidic channels
Implementation Method 2
the lid comprises a metal and/or a plastic configured to allow a transmitted beam of electrons to pass from an irradiation source to a fluid flowing through the plurality of microfluidic channels
Data Source
AI summary
A cell deactivation device includes a cell deactivation container. The cell deactivation container includes a plurality of microfluidic channels, a lid covering the plurality of microfluidic channels, the lid having a thickness of less than about 150 microns, and a distribution manifold configured to distribute a fluid to the plurality of microfluidic channels. The cell deactivation device further includes an irradiation source configured to generate an electron beam and transmit the electron beam through the lid of the cell deactivation container and into a fluid passing through the plurality of microfluidic channels.