# US 2023/0056568 A1 · Device for producing biomass and its derivatives

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- Number: US 2023/0056568 A1
- Document ID: US20230056568A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/403,920
- Filed: 2021-08-17
- Published: 2023-02-23
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-17
- Inventors: Acerbo Claudio Horacio; Martín Blasco; Lucas Martín Gago
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230056568A1

## CPC

- C12M 21/04: {for producing gas, e.g. biogas (digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10)}
- C02F 1/043: {Details}
- C12M 29/00: {Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps (pumps per se F04B)}
- C12M 29/04: {Filters; Permeable or porous membranes or plates, e.g. dialysis}
- C12M 37/00: {Means for sterilizing, maintaining sterile conditions or avoiding chemical or biological contamination (C12M23/38 takes precedence; filtration in general and filters per se B01D24/00-B01D41/00; autoclaves B01J3/04; treatment of microorganisms with electrical or wave energy C12N13/00)}
- C12M 41/12: {of temperature (controlling the temperature of chemical or physical processes B01J19/0013, heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory use B01L7/00)}
- C12M 47/02: {Separating microorganisms from the culture medium; Concentration of biomass (separating microorganisms from their culture media C12N1/02)}
- C02F 1/441: {by reverse osmosis}
- C02F 2103/02: Non-contaminated water, e.g. for industrial water supply
- C12M 41/48: {Automatic or computerized control (automatic analysis G01N35/00)}
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)

## Abstract

A device for the decentralized and continuous production of biomass at home, which comprises: a culture container for continuous processes, in batch and in a fed batch connected to a system that provides gaseous components; and all the supplied components are sterilized by a filter; a solids dispenser that is connected to a solids reservoir, and which can quantify the dispensed solids; a dissolving-unit that is connected to the solids dispenser, to a liquids metering pump, and to a purified water generation system, and where the dissolving-unit exit is connected to the culture tank by the culture medium filters; and the latter communicate the fluids with the dissolving-unit and the culture tank; a device that contains and dispenses the inoculum that initiates the culture, and which is connected to the culture tank; a temperature-controlled rotary drum system is connected to the culture tank to separate the biomass, with a drain of liquids; a sterilizer is connected to the culture tank and the associated filters; a microprocessor with instructions to control the variables of the process, which is connected to a user interface; and connections to a water source, electric power source, drain of liquids, and to Internet and servers with AI. Procedure for the continuous production at home of biomass using said device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for the decentralized and continuous production of biomass at home, which comprises:
A culture container that is connected to a culture medium provision or reaction, a system that supplies air, oxygen or other gases, and a sterilizing filter coupled in series;
A solids dispenser that is connected to a solids reservoir and which can quantify the dispensed solids;
A continuous or semi-continuous dissolving-unit that is connected to the solids dispenser, to a liquids metering pump, and to a purified water generation system, and where the dissolving-unit exit is connected to the culture tank by the culture medium filters. The latter communicate the fluids with the dissolving-unit and the culture tank;
A device that contains and dispenses the inoculum that initiates the culture, and which is connected to the culture tank;
A temperature-controlled separating system is connected to the culture tank to separate the biomass or the reaction products, with a drain of liquids;
A sterilizing system inside is connected to the culture tank and the associated filters;
A microprocessor system to control the process is connected to a user interface; and
Connections to a water source, electric power source, drain of liquids, to Internet, and to servers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device from claim 1, wherein the device that contains and dispenses the inoculum that initiates the culture includes a cassette that has sufficient seeds for the equipment to function in a continuous form during multiple processes, ideally during the whole lifetime of the equipment.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device from claim 1, wherein the sterilizer is a water vapor generator or a vapor generator of H2O2, and a coupled reservoir.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device from claim 1, wherein the microprocessor includes AI instructions that control and improve every aspect of the production procedure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device from claim 1, wherein the source of energy power is electric.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A procedure for the continuous home production of biomass by using the device from claim 1, which consists of:
a) Connecting the device to a water source, a power electric source, a drain of liquids, and optionally, to Internet;
b) Activating the filters of the culture medium, water and air;
c) Placing a cassette with a seed of inoculum in its receptacle;
d) Loading the solids for preparing the culture medium in the solids reservoir;
e) Placing the container with the liquid components of the process and connecting it to the system for preparing the culture medium;
f) Optionally, adding a sterilizing agent;
g) Switching on the equipment and selecting the start-process option;
h) Cultivating the microorganism in a continuous form until the reserves of medium are over, or upon genetic instability of the microorganism; and
i) Stopping the process, and separating the resulting biomass.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The procedure from claim 6, wherein the cassette has sufficient units of inoculum for multiple continued processes, without having to add more.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The procedure from claim 6, wherein the inoculum is freeze-dried in order to have a long-time stability for initiating each culture.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The procedure from claim 6, wherein the solids reservoir comprises 5-100 kg of solids to prepare the culture medium.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The procedure from claim 6, wherein the sterilizing agent is water vapor or H2O2 vapor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The procedure from claim 7, wherein the inoculum is freeze-dried in order to have a long-time stability for initiating each culture.