Prefilter system for biological systems

• US 20050205489A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Millipore Corporation
• Inventors: Siwak, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,390,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/500.210
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/125 Pre-filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/3804 Affinity chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 15/3809 of the antigen-antibody type, e.g. protein A, G, L chromatography
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0407 comprising particulate additives, e.g. adsorbents apparatus incorporating gas filtering material B01D46/0036
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0428 Rendering the filter material hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/065 More than one layer present in the filtering material apparatus incorporating such gas filtering material B01D2275/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0654 Support layers
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0695 Wound layers apparatus incorporating such gas filtering material B01D2275/105
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/04 Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/2626 Absorption or adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/2649 Filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/41 mounted transversely on the tube
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/083 of organic material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/086 of inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/1607 the material being fibrous B01D39/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/18 the material being cellulose or derivatives thereof cork or peat B01D39/1646 ; making filter paper D21F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/20 of inorganic material, e.g. asbestos paper, metallic filtering material of non-woven wires porous ceramic material C04B38/00 ; sintering metals C22C1/04; making porous sintered metal bodies B22F3/10, honeycomb filters B01D46/2418, materials used for filtering exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine F01N3/022, ceramic honeycomb structures C04B38/0006
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/146 comprising multiple ultrafiltration steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/16 Feed pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/141 Heterogeneous membranes, e.g. containing dispersed material; Mixed matrix membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/1411 : containing dispersed material in a continuous matrix
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28014 : characterised by their form
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28028 : Particles immobilised within fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 21/00 : Preparation of peptides or proteins single cell protein C12N1/00

Abstract

The present invention is to a prefilter for purification systems such as affinity chromatography columns and ultrafiltration systems. The prefilter, positioned upstream of the system inlet, reduces the presence of non-specific binding (NSB) species that enter the system, thereby extending the yield, capacity and lifetime of the system. Suitable agents include but are not limited to hydrophobic entities; lipophilic entities; activated carbon; charged cation or anion entities; ligands; particles such as fumed silica, glass, controlled pore glass or derivitized version of each; silica or silicates; and combinations thereof. The material(s) can be incorporated into a variety of media such as fibers, beads, membranes and the like and then incorporated into a variety of device designs including lenticular pads, depth filters, bead containing columns, spiral wound devices, TFF devices and the like.

Claims

1. ) A prefilter for a protein purification system comprising one or more layers of one or more media selected to remove non-specific binding constituents from a protein containing stream.

2. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the prefilter is upstream of and in fluid communication with an affinity chromatography column.

3. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the prefilter is upstream of and in fluid communication with an ultrafiltration system.

4. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the prefilter has an inlet and an outlet and a space between wherein the space is filled with media containing one or more agents for removing non-specific binding.

5. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the prefilter has an inlet and an outlet and a space between wherein the space is filled with media containing one or more agents for removing non-specific binding and wherein the media is in the form of a bead.

6. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the prefilter is in the form of one or more lenticular pad devices, each device having a central lenticular support structure, one or more prefilter pads, an edge seal securing the pads to the support and a central outlet such that all fluid entering the device must pass through the one or more prefilter pads and the support before reaching the central outlet.

7. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein one or more prefilters are in the form of one or more lenticular pad devices, each device having a central lenticular support structure, one or more prefilter pads, each pad being formed of one or more layers of one or more media selected to remove non-specific binding constituents from a protein containing stream, an edge seal securing the one or more pads to the support and a central outlet such that all fluid entering the device must pass through the one or more prefilter pads and the support before reaching the central outlet and a housing in which the one or more prefilters are arranged, the housing having a central rod on to which each device is mounted by its central outlet the central rod being connected to an outlet of the housing, a space between the devices and the inner wall of the housing for fluid flow and an inlet in the housing.

8. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the media is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic entities, lipophilic entities, activated carbon, charged cation or anion entities, ligands, particles such as fumed silica, glass, controlled pore glass and derivitized version of each, silica or silicates, and combinations thereof.

9. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the media is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic entities, lipophilic entities, activated carbon, charged cation or anion entities, ligands, particles such as fumed silica, glass, controlled pore glass and derivitized version of each, silica or silicates, and combinations thereof and wherein the media is formed by embedding the selected material in a fibrous filter pad or membrane.

10. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the media is a cellulose derived fibrous pad containing a material selected from the group consisting of glass, silicates, silica and blends thereof.

11. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the media is a cellulose derived fibrous pad containing a material selected from the group consisting of glass, wherein the glass is in a form selected from the group consisting of fibers, mats and controlled pore glass particles.

12. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the prefilter is upstream of and in fluid communication with a purification system selected from the group consisting of an affinity chromatography column and a ultrafiltration system, further comprising a storage tank is placed intermediate between the outlet of the prefilter and the inlet to the purification system and is in fluid communication with both.

13. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the prefilter is in the form of a spiral wound filter cartridge.

14. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the prefilter is in the form of a disposable capsule containing a series of flat disks of a fibrous material containing one or more NSB agents with the disks having a central bore and a series of inner and outer knife edge seals forming a fluid pathway such that all fluid exiting the device must first flow through the disks.

15. ) The prefilter of claim 1 wherein the prefilter is in the form of a tangential flow device with fibrous material containing one or more NSB agents arranged in a series of cassettes or pods with the flow running across or tangential to the material and at least a portion of the fluid passing through the material on each pass.