Axial and radial flow columns with inflatable seals to facilitate packing and unpacking
Inventors
Saxena, Vinit • Saxena, Renu • Zuffi, David
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-8685241-B1
Publication Date
2014-04-01
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method, apparatus, and system are described to pack and unpack resin in a chromatography-column. One or more inflatable seals are deflated to pack a resin slurry from a bottom outlet valve into a resin bed chamber located between an outer shell of the column and an inner frit of the chromatography-column. The resin slurry is pumped into and through an outlet packing-and-running port and passed one or more deflated inflatable seals to pack the resin bed to a designated pressure with resin slurry. The inflatable seals are inflated to seal the resin bed in place.
Core Innovation
The disclosed invention relates to axial and radial flow chromatography columns that use one or more inflatable seals and a first port and a second port to facilitate packing and unpacking resin in the chromatography-column. The inflation state of the inflatable seals is controlled to block or unblock a pathway to a resin bed in the chromatography-column. The approach is designed so that packing and unpacking can be performed using the same ports that are present in the column.
In the radial-flow chromatography-column configuration, the first port is an inlet port and the second port is an outlet packing-and-running port located at a bottom of the chromatography-column for easy drainability. The inflatable seals, each with a seal fluid line and seal valve, are used to deflate to allow resin slurry to be pumped through the bottom outlet/packing-and-running port into a resin bed chamber. After packing to a target compaction pressure, the seals are inflated to retain the packed resin bed and to direct product flow through the resin.
During normal operation, the same two ports are used to run fluids through the chromatography-column so that the resin bed filters the product of interest. The column further includes an outer shell, an inner screen, an air vent coupled to the resin bed chamber, and distribution plates to support the resin bed chamber and fluid handling.
Claims Coverage
The document provides one independent claim. It combines a radial-flow chromatography-column apparatus with two ports used for both resin packing/unpacking and normal operation, and controllable inflatable seals that block or unblock a resin-bed pathway to enable switching between slurry packing and product-processing flow.
Inflatable seals controlled to block or unblock resin-bed pathway for packing and unpacking
A chromatography-column having one or more inflatable seals, where the packing and unpacking of the resin occurs using a first port and a second port, and an inflation state of the one or more inflatable seals is controlled to block or unblock a pathway to a resin bed.
Same first and second ports used for packing, unpacking, and normal operation
The same two ports are also used during normal operation by running a product of interest from a bioreactor, a protein solution from another tank, a synthetic product of interest from another tank, or any of these through the two ports so that the resin filters the product of interest.
Radial-flow column with bottom outlet packing-and-running port
The chromatography-column is a radial-flow chromatography-column that includes an inlet port as the first port and an outlet packing-and-running port located at a bottom of the chromatography-column for easy drainability as the second port.
Resin bed chamber between inner screen and outer shell with air vent
The column includes an inner screen, a resin bed chamber located between the inner screen and the outer shell, and an air vent coupled to the resin bed chamber.
Seal fluid lines and seal valves for inflatable seals
Each seal includes a seal fluid line and seal valve within the chromatography-column.
Across the independent claim, the core coverage is a radial-flow chromatography-column that uses inflatable seals to block or unblock a pathway to a resin bed, while a first port and a second port serve both resin packing and unpacking and normal processing runs.
Stated Advantages
Easier/simplified slurry packing.
Fewer dead zones requiring cleaning.
Documented Applications
Normal operation in which a product of interest from a bioreactor and/or a protein solution or a synthetic product of interest from another tank is run through the two ports so that the resin filters the product of interest.
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