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US 11,447,730 B2Granted
Bioreactor system and method of bioprocessing
AssigneeGlobal Life Sciences Solutions USA LLC
InventorAlexander Mark Kilar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bioreactor system includes a vessel having a bottom floor, a flexible bioprocessing bag disposed within the vessel, and a flexible bladder positioned intermediate the bottom floor of the vessel and the bioprocessing bag. The flexible bladder is selectively inflatable to vary at least one of a geometry or configuration of the bioprocessing bag to provide for improved drainability or an increased turndown ratio for the bioreactor system.
Claims16
A bioreactor system, comprising:
- a vessel having a bottom floor;
- a flexible bioprocessing bag disposed within the vessel;
- and
- a flexible bladder positioned intermediate the bottom floor of the vessel and the bioprocessing bag, and entirely beneath the bioprocessing bag;
- wherein the flexible bladder is selectively inflatable to vary at least one of a geometry or configuration of the bioprocessing bag;
- wherein the flexible bladder has a torus or segmented torus shape in an inflated state;
- wherein the inflated torus or segmented torus creates a funnel shape at a bottom of the bioprocessing bag to funnel contents of the bioprocessing bag towards the bottom floor of the vessel.
4 more elements
A method of bioprocessing, comprising the steps of:
- disposing a flexible bladder on a bottom floor of a bioreactor vessel;
- disposing a flexible bioprocessing bag within the vessel generally atop the flexible bladder;
- carrying out a bioprocess within the flexible bioprocessing bag;
- and
- inflating the flexible bladder to a torus or segmented torus shape during draining of the flexible bioprocessing bag to create a funnel shape in a bottom of the flexible bioprocessing bag to funnel contents of the flexible bioprocessing bag towards a drain port in the bottom floor of the bioreactor vessel.
2 more elements
The method of bioprocessing of 11, wherein:
- the step of inflating the flexible bladder is carried out prior to carrying out the bioprocess within the flexible bioprocessing bag;
- and
- wherein the method further includes the steps of:
- expanding a culture within the flexible bioprocessing bag, whereby expanding the culture increases a fluid level within the flexible bioprocessing bag;
- and
- deflating the flexible bladder as the fluid level within the flexible bioprocessing bag increases.
3 more elements
A method of bioprocessing, comprising the steps of:
- disposing a flexible bladder on a bottom floor of a bioreactor vessel;
- disposing a flexible bioprocessing bag within the bioreactor vessel generally atop the flexible bladder, wherein the flexible bioprocessing bag includes a maximum operating volume that can be used to perform a bioprocessing operation in the flexible bioprocessing bag and a minimum operating volume that can be used to perform the bioprocessing operation, wherein the minimum operating volume has a minimum fluid level or height associated therewith that is indicative of an amount of fluid that is necessary for one or more sensors operatively coupled to the flexible bioprocessing bag to obtain accurate measurements from the fluid in the flexible bioprocessing bag for process control of the bioprocessing operation;
- filling the flexible bioprocessing bag with the fluid;
- inflating the flexible bladder to an inflated state causing the fluid within the flexible bioprocessing bag to exceed the minimum fluid level or height for performing the bioprocessing operation, whereby in a deflated state of the flexible bladder the level of fluid within the flexible bioprocessing bag is below the minimum fluid level or height;
- carrying out the bioprocessing operation within the flexible bioprocessing bag with the flexible bladder in the inflated state, wherein the bioprocessing operation includes expanding a culture within the flexible bioprocessing bag, and wherein the fluid level or height increases during culture expansion;
- and
- deflating the flexible bladder as the fluid level or height within the flexible bioprocessing bag increases for utilization of the maximum operating volume as the culture expansion proceeds.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.