Acoustic perfusion devices
AssigneeFloDesign Sonics, Inc.
InventorsBart Lipkens, Erik Miller, Benjamin Ross-Johnsrud, Walter M. Presz, JR., Kedar Chitale, Thomas J. Kennedy, III
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Abstract
Acoustic perfusion devices for separating biological cells from other material in a fluid mixture are disclosed. The devices include an inlet port, an outlet port, and a collection port that are connected to an acoustic chamber. An ultrasonic transducer creates an acoustic standing wave in the acoustic chamber that permits a continuous flow of fluid to be recovered through the collection port while keeping the biological cells within the acoustic chamber to be returned to the bioreactor from which the fluid mixture is being drawn.
Claims30
An acoustic perfusion device, comprising:
- an acoustic chamber;
- an inlet port and an inlet flow path leading from the inlet port to the acoustic chamber;
- an outlet port and an outlet flow path leading from the acoustic chamber to the outlet port for recirculating a fluid mixture;
- at least one collection port for collecting harvest fluid from the fluid mixture;
- and
- at least one ultrasonic transducer and at least one reflector opposite the at least one ultrasonic transducer, wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer includes a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave across a collection flow path leading from the acoustic chamber to the at least one collection port.
A method for separating biological cells from a fluid mixture, comprising:
- flowing the fluid mixture containing the biological cells through an acoustic perfusion device, the device comprising:
- an acoustic chamber;
- an inlet port, an inlet flow path leading from the inlet port to the acoustic chamber;
- an outlet port for recirculating the fluid mixture and the biological cells;
- at least one collection port for collecting harvest fluid;
- and
- at least one ultrasonic transducer below the at least one collection port and at least one reflector opposite the at least one ultrasonic transducer, wherein the at least one ultrasonic transducer includes a piezoelectric material driven by a voltage signal to create a multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave across a collection flow path leading from the acoustic chamber to the at least one collection port;
- driving the at least one ultrasonic transducer to create the acoustic standing wave;
- and
- collecting a fluid mixture enriched in cells from the outlet port and collecting a harvest fluid mixture depleted in cells from the at least one collection port.
A flow device, comprising:
- at least one inlet for receiving a flowing mixture of a primary fluid and cells,
- an ultrasonic transducer that produces a first ultrasonic multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave and uses a pressure rise and an acoustic radiation force on cells, generated at an upstream interface region of the first ultrasonic multi-dimensional acoustic standing wave, to separate the flowing mixture into a primary high cell concentration fluid stream and a secondary harvest fluid stream;
- an outlet port for the primary high cell concentration fluid stream;
- a bleed port for extracting a concentrated fluid/cell mixture;
- and
- at least one collection port for the secondary harvest fluid stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.