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Publication Number
US-10358626-B2
Publication Date
2019-07-23
Expiration Date
Abstract
Provided herein are tubular membrane filter elements, tangential flow filtration systems comprising such filter elements and methods of using such filter elements and filtration systems.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a method of filtering a cell culture media comprising mammalian cells and a virus by passing the media through a plurality of tubular porous membranes of a filter element enclosed within a casing. Each tubular porous membrane filter element comprises a plurality of sintered tubular ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) porous membranes. At least 95% of the pores in each tubular porous membrane are between 5 μm and 15 μm in size, and the internal diameter of each tubular porous membrane is between about 1 mm to about 10 mm.
The mammalian cells are retained within the tubular porous membranes, while a permeate comprising the virus flows through the pores of the tubular porous membranes into the casing. The filter element architecture therefore separates cell retention from virus permeation into a permeate stream within the casing enclosure.
The claim set further specifies that at least 99% of the pores are between 5 μm and 15 μm and that the internal diameter can be between about 1 mm and about 5 mm. The claim set further specifies permissible viruses by naming lentivirus, adeno-associated virus (AAV), and/or influenza virus, and narrows the operation to a tangential flow filtration perfusion method or an alternating tangential flow perfusion method.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim is clm-00001. It contains a set of core, quantified structural and functional limitations centered on sintered UHMWPE tubular porous membranes enclosed within a casing, with a defined pore-size distribution that retains mammalian cells while allowing virus permeation into a permeate stream in the casing; dependent claims refine additional quantitative ranges, virus type, and perfusion mode.
Enclosed plurality of sintered tubular UHMWPE porous membranes
A filter element enclosed within a casing comprising a plurality of tubular porous membranes, wherein each tubular porous membrane filter element comprises a plurality of sintered tubular ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) porous membranes.
Virus-permeable, cell-retentive pore-size distribution and tubular internal diameter
At least 95% of the pores in each tubular porous membrane are between 5 μm and 15 μm in size, and the internal diameter of each tubular porous membrane is between about 1 mm to about 10 mm.
Mammalian cell retention with permeate virus flow into the casing
The mammalian cells are retained within the tubular porous membranes, and a permeate comprising the virus flows through the pores of the tubular porous membranes into the casing.
Across clm-00001 and its dependents, the claims define a casing-enclosed plurality of sintered tubular UHMWPE porous membranes with a quantified pore-size distribution and defined tubular internal diameter, configured so that mammalian cells are retained while virus permeates through the pores into a permeate stream inside the casing; dependents further tighten pore and diameter thresholds, specify lentivirus, AAV, influenza virus, and limit the process mode to tangential flow filtration perfusion method or alternating tangential flow perfusion method.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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