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US 8,999,046 B2Granted
Air removal chamber for a cell expansion system and method of use associated therewith
AssigneeTerumo BCT, Inc.
InventorsThomas G. DiLorenzo, Edward Allan Stanton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cell expansion system includes an air removal chamber to provide a bubble trap so that air and/or gas bubbles do not enter the bioreactor of the cell expansion system. The air removal chamber includes a pair of ports situated at the bottom of the air removal chamber. An entrance port allows fluid to enter the air removal chamber, and an exit port allows fluid to exit the air removal chamber. In one embodiment the air removal chamber forms an element of a premounted fluid conveyance assembly for use with a cell expansion machine.
Claims12
A cell expansion machine, wherein the cell expansion machine comprises a plurality of fluid level sensors, comprising:
- a tubing-organizer;
- and
- a fluid conveyance system at least partially attached to the tubing-organizer, the fluid conveyance system comprising:
- a fluid containment member including a containment wall defining a fluid containment chamber therein, wherein a width of the fluid containment chamber increases from a bottom of the fluid containment member to a top of the fluid containment member, wherein a height of the fluid containment chamber is greater than about five times an average width of the fluid containment chamber, and wherein the fluid containment member includes a plurality of apertures through the containment wall including:
- (a) a first aperture and a second aperture, the first aperture and the second aperture located adjacent to one another and situated at a bottom of the fluid containment member, the first aperture adapted to allow a cell-containing fluid to enter the fluid containment member, and the second aperture adapted to allow the cell-containing fluid to exit the fluid containment member, wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are separated from one another by an aperture separator wall, the aperture separator wall comprising a ridge portion extending into the fluid containment chamber, the ridge portion comprising a first slope face and a second slope face, and wherein the first slope face is oriented at an angle of about 90 degrees relative to the second slope face;
- and
- (b) a venting aperture located above the first aperture and above the second aperture;
- a length of tubing fluidly associated with the fluid containment member;
- and
- a bioreactor fluidly associated with the length of tubing and with the fluid containment member;
- wherein the tubing-organizer and the fluid conveyance system are adapted to be detachably-attached to the cell expansion machine, and wherein the tubing-organizer comprises a plurality of sensor ports to provide access through a wall of the tubing-organizer to allow the plurality of fluid level sensors on the cell expansion machine to read a level of the cell-containing fluid in the fluid containment member.
8 more elements
A method of preventing migration of a gas to a bioreactor within a fluid conveyance system in a cell expansion system, the method comprising:
- detachably-attaching a tubing-organizer of a premounted fluid conveyance assembly to a cell expansion machine of the cell expansion system, wherein the cell expansion machine comprises a plurality of fluid level sensors, and wherein the tubing-organizer comprises a plurality of sensor ports to provide access through a wall of the tubing-organizer to allow the plurality of fluid level sensors on the cell expansion machine to measure a level of a cell-containing fluid in a fluid containment member, wherein the fluid containment member is fluidly associated with the bioreactor and with a fluid conveyance conduit within the fluid conveyance system, and wherein the fluid containment member is connected to the tubing-organizer, the fluid containment member comprising:
- a bubble release chamber, wherein a width of the bubble release chamber increases from a bottom of the fluid containment member to a top of the fluid containment member, wherein a height of the bubble release chamber is greater than about five times an average width of the bubble release chamber;
- and
- a first aperture and a second aperture located at a bottom of the fluid containment member and fluidly associated with the bubble release chamber, the first aperture and the second aperture located adjacent to one another, the first aperture adapted to allow the cell-containing fluid to enter the fluid containment member, and the second aperture adapted to allow the cell-containing fluid to exit the fluid containment member, wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are separated from one another by an aperture separator wall having a ridge portion extending into the bubble release chamber, wherein the ridge portion comprises a first slope face and a second slope face, and wherein the first slope face is oriented at an angle of about 90 degrees relative to the second slope face;
- after detachably-attaching the tubing organizer to the cell expansion machine of the cell expansion system, pumping the cell-containing fluid from the fluid conveyance conduit through the first aperture and into the bubble release chamber, wherein the cell-containing fluid enters the bubble release chamber moving upward;
- venting a gas released from the cell-containing fluid within the bubble release chamber through a vent aperture located above the first aperture and above the second aperture;
- and
- causing the cell-containing fluid to flow out of the second aperture.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.