Wetting Plastic Bed Support for Chromatography
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current chromatography column wetting methods using solvents or surfactants are costly, flammable, and can contaminate biopharmaceutical products, necessitating a method that avoids these substances.
Innovation Solution
A method involving soaking a plastic bed support in an aqueous solution with 12-21wt% n-propanol as a non-surfactant wetting agent, combined with overpressure and vibration, to efficiently remove air from the bed support without using surfactants or flammable solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solvents (ethanol, isopropanol, methanol) are used to wet the bed support, then air is effectively displaced from the pore structure, but the solvents are flammable and require explosion-proof equipment and classified locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the wetting solution by using aqueous solutions with specific salt concentrations (0.9%, 3%, 6%, 9%, or 12% w/v) instead of flammable organic solvents. This parameter change maintains wetting effectiveness while eliminating flammability, allowing the solution to be used in non-explosion-proof environments.
2Reliability
If surfactants are used to wet the bed support, then air is displaced from the pore structure, but surfactants adsorb strongly to pore surfaces causing potential leakage into the biopharmaceutical product
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes surfactants from the wetting solution formulation entirely. By using only aqueous salt solutions without any surfactant additives, the method eliminates the source of contamination while still achieving effective air displacement through the salt solution's inherent wetting properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses simple, inexpensive aqueous salt solutions that can be easily prepared and discarded without concern for contamination. These solutions serve their wetting function temporarily and are then replaced with process buffers, ensuring no persistent contamination of the biopharmaceutical product.
3Reliability
If solvents or surfactants are used for wetting, then air is removed from the bed support, but substantial extra costs are incurred due to explosion-proof equipment and surfactant contamination risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs inexpensive aqueous salt solutions that can be prepared in-house without requiring expensive explosion-proof equipment or specialized surfactant formulations. The solutions are simple, disposable, and eliminate the need for costly safety infrastructure while maintaining effective wetting performance.
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 method effectively removes at least 60% of air from the bed support's pore structure, ensuring efficient chromatography without surfactant contamination or flammability risks, and can be used in both small and large-diameter columns.
Implementation Method 1
soaking a plastic bed support in an aqueous solution with 12-21wt% n-propanol as a non-surfactant wetting agent
Implementation Method 2
The bed support is then pressurized with an overpressure of at least 10 kPa, such as at least 50 kPa or at least 100 kPa
Implementation Method 3
vibrations or at least 10 kPa, such as at least 50 kPa or at least 100 kPa, overpressure are applied to said plastic bed support when soaked in said aqueous solution
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
A method for wetting a plastic bed support for a chromatography column, comprising the steps of providing a plastic bed support with a pore structure comprising air in said pore structure and soaking the plastic bed support in an aqueous solution comprising 0.1-30 wt % of a non- surfactant wetting agent, resulting in the removal of at least about 60% of the air from said pore structure.