Parallel Viral Inactivation Tanks for Continuous Biopharma Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current viral inactivation processes for biopharmaceutical liquids require stopping the product flow during incubation, disrupting continuous or semi-continuous treatment workflows, and lack efficient pH adjustment and pre-polishing capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A biological liquid treatment installation with parallel treatment lines and a common third main treatment tank for continuous pH adjustment and pre-polishing, allowing for simultaneous processing and continuous flow of treated liquid, incorporating intermediate tanks for incubation and pH adjustment, and using acid and base to achieve target pH levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If viral inactivation treatment is performed with incubation time, then viral inactivation efficiency is improved, but product flow must be stopped which reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment system is divided into multiple parallel treatment lines (first and second treatment lines), each capable of independent operation. This segmentation allows continuous processing by switching between lines while one line undergoes incubation, thereby maintaining product flow continuity without compromising viral inactivation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a recirculation loop that allows the biological liquid to circulate continuously through the treatment system. The third main treatment tank receives liquid from both parallel lines and maintains continuous flow, ensuring that the useful action of viral inactivation continues without interruption while incubation occurs in parallel.
2Reliability
If multiple treatment steps are performed sequentially, then treatment thoroughness is improved, but treatment time increases which reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second main treatment tanks perform preliminary viral inactivation treatment before the liquid reaches the third main treatment tank. This preliminary action ensures that significant viral inactivation occurs in parallel lines before convergence, reducing the burden on the final treatment stage and overall treatment time.
Solution Approach 2:
The third main treatment tank merges the treatment streams from both parallel lines and performs final pH adjustment and polishing. By combining the parallel treatment paths at this stage, the system achieves thorough treatment while maintaining continuous flow and reducing total processing time compared to purely sequential processing.
3Manufacturing precision
If pH adjustment is performed in each treatment tank, then pH control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The third main treatment tank serves multiple functions: it receives treatment liquid from both parallel lines, performs final pH adjustment, and acts as a convergence point for the recirculation loop. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated tanks for each function, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining precise pH control.
Solution Approach 2:
pH adjustment is performed locally at each treatment stage where it is most needed. The first and second main treatment tanks perform initial pH adjustment for their respective lines, while the third tank performs final precision adjustment. This localized approach ensures precise pH control at each stage without requiring all tanks to have full pH adjustment capabilities, optimizing device 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
Enables efficient, continuous viral inactivation with controlled pH adjustment and pre-polishing, facilitating a seamless transition to subsequent polishing steps like chromatography, thereby improving the overall treatment efficiency and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a determined volume of acid and a determined volume of base are introduced at least so as to adjust a pH of said biological liquid
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns an installation for treating biological liquid by viral inactivation, comprising a main supply valve (4) for suppling biological liquid to treat, a first line (2) downstream of said valve and provided with a first main tank (7), a second line (3) downstream of said valve and provided with a second main tank (14), said second line being in parallel with said first line, and a third main tank (11) disposed at an outlet both from said first line and said second line and configured to be successively supplied by said first main tank and by said second main tank; said installation being configured such that in each of said first, second and third main treatment tanks, a determined volume of acid and a determined volume of base are introduced at least so as to adjust a pH of said biological liquid and to regulate a rate of drainage flow of said third main treatment tank so as to provide a continuous rate of flow of treated biological liquid at an outlet from said installation.