Humidity control in chemical reactors
AssigneesMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Sanofi
InventorsShireen Goh, Rajeev Jagga Ram, Kevin Shao-Kwan Lee, Michelangelo Canzoneri, Horst Blum
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Abstract
Control of humidity in chemical reactors, and associated systems and methods, are generally described. In certain embodiments, the humidity within gas transport conduits and chambers can be controlled to inhibit unwanted condensation within gas transport pathways. By inhibiting condensation within gas transport pathways, clogging of such pathways can be limited (or eliminated) such that transport of gas can be more easily and controllably achieved. In addition, strategies for purging condensed liquid from chemical reactor systems are also described.
Claims20
A reactor system, comprising:
- a reactor chamber comprising a liquid growth medium disposed therein, wherein the liquid growth medium comprises a mammalian cell, wherein the reactor chamber has a volume of less than or equal to about 50 milliliters;
- a reactor chamber gas inlet conduit configured to transport gas from a gas cylinder comprising the gas disposed therein into the head space of the reactor chamber through a reactor chamber gas inlet;
- a flow control mechanism configured to regulate the flow of gas through the reactor chamber gas inlet conduit at a rate of equal to or less than about 1 milliliter per second;
- and
- a humidifier configured to humidify the gas transported through the reactor chamber gas inlet conduit, the humidifier positioned between the flow control mechanism and the reactor gas inlet;
- a reactor chamber gas outlet configured to transport gas out of the reactor chamber through a reactor chamber gas outlet conduit;
- and
- a gas bypass conduit external to the reactor chamber, connecting the gas inlet conduit to the gas outlet conduit.
A reactor system, comprising:
- a reactor chamber comprising a liquid growth medium disposed therein, wherein the liquid growth medium comprises a mammalian cell;
- a reactor chamber gas inlet conduit configured to transport gas from a gas cylinder comprising the gas disposed therein into the reactor chamber through a reactor chamber gas inlet;
- a reactor chamber gas outlet configured to transport gas out of the reactor chamber through a reactor chamber gas outlet conduit;
- a flow control mechanism configured to regulate the flow of gas through the reactor chamber gas inlet conduit at a rate of equal to or less than about 1 milliliter per second;
- a humidifier configured to humidify the gas transported through the reactor chamber gas inlet conduit, the humidifier positioned between the flow control mechanism and the reactor gas inlet;
- and
- a gas bypass conduit external to the reactor chamber, connecting the gas inlet conduit to the gas outlet conduit,
- wherein the reactor chamber further comprises:
- an optical density sensor configured to determine light absorbance of the liquid growth medium and the mammalian cell disposed in the reactor chamber;
- a CO2 sensor configured to determine the CO2 concentration within the reactor chamber;
- and
- a temperature sensor configured to determine the temperature of the liquid growth medium disposed in the reactor chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.