Priming method and biological component treatment system
AssigneeTerumo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasatsugu Igarashi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A biological component treatment system according to embodiments of the present disclosure includes an IC route through which the liquid is capable of flowing in inner cavities of hollow fibers, and an EC route through which the liquid is capable of flowing in a main space on an outer side of the hollow fibers. The biological component processing system is further equipped with a control unit that controls a flowing state of the liquid through the IC route and the EC route. The control unit, at a time of priming, while the liquid flows through both the IC route and the EC route, causes a differential pressure to be generated between the liquid flowing through the inner cavities and the liquid flowing through the main space, and causes the gas to flow out from the hollow fibers.
Claims20
A priming method for discharging a gas contained within hollow fibers by introducing a cleaning liquid into a treatment unit comprising:
- the hollow fibers, the hollow fibers containing a coating that promotes seeding of cells and that is formed on inner circumferential surfaces that constitute inner cavities of the hollow fibers, and
- a container having an internal space in which the hollow fibers are disposed, wherein the treatment unit includes:
- an internal route through which the cleaning liquid is allowed to flow in the inner cavities;
- and
- an external route through which the cleaning liquid is allowed to flow in the internal space on an outer side of the hollow fibers, the method comprising:
- flowing the cleaning liquid through the internal route at a first flow rate and in a first flow direction;
- while the cleaning liquid flows through the internal route at the first flow rate and in the first flow direction, flowing the cleaning liquid through the external route at a second flow rate, different from the first flow rate, and in a second flow direction, opposite the first flow direction, to generate a differential pressure between the internal route and the external route that forces the gas out of the hollow fibers toward either the internal route or the external route without peeling the coating from the inner circumferential surfaces;
- and
- discharging the cleaning liquid and the gas from the internal route or the external route into a waste liquid bag.
A biological component treatment system comprising:
- a treatment unit comprising hollow fibers on which a coating that promotes seeding of cells and that is formed on inner circumferential surfaces that create inner cavities of the hollow fibers;
- a container having an internal space in which the hollow fibers are disposed;
- an internal route connected to the treatment unit, and through which a cleaning liquid is allowed to flow in the inner cavities;
- an external route connected to the treatment unit, and through which the cleaning liquid is allowed to flow in the internal space on an outer side of the hollow fibers;
- and
- a control unit configured to control a flow of the cleaning liquid through the internal route and the external route such that:
- the cleaning liquid flows through the internal route at a first flow rate and in a first flow direction;
- while the cleaning liquid flows through the internal route at the first flow rate and in the first flow direction, the cleaning liquid flows through the external route at a second flow rate, different from the first flow rate, and in a second flow direction, opposite the first flow direction, to generate a differential pressure between the internal route and the external route that forces gas out of the hollow fibers toward either the internal route or the external route but without peeling the coating from the inner circumferential surfaces;
- and
- the cleaning liquid and the gas are discharged from the internal route or the external route into a waste liquid bag.
A biological component treatment apparatus, comprising:
- a bioreactor that includes hollow fibers with inner circumferential surfaces each coated with a coating that promotes seeding of cells to create respective inner cavities in the hollow fibers;
- a container with an internal space housing the hollow fibers;
- an internal route fluidically connected to the bioreactor and configured to permit a cleaning liquid to flow in the inner cavities of the hollow fibers;
- an external route fluidically connected to the bioreactor and configured to permit the cleaning liquid to flow in the internal space on an outer side of the hollow fibers;
- and
- a control unit configured to control flow of the cleaning liquid through both the internal route and the external route such that:
- the cleaning liquid flows through the internal route at a first flow rate and in a first flow direction;
- while the cleaning liquid flows through the internal route at the first flow rate and in the first flow direction, the cleaning liquid flows through the external route at a second flow rate, different from the first flow rate, and in a second flow direction, opposite the first flow direction, to generate a differential pressure between the internal route and the external route that forces gas out of the hollow fibers toward either the internal route or the external route but without peeling the coating from the inner circumferential surfaces;
- and
- the cleaning liquid and the gas are discharged from the internal route or the external route into a waste liquid bag.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.