FILTER WITH MEMORY, COMMUNICATION AND CONCENTRATION SENSOR

• US 20110084024A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Millipore Corporation
• Inventors: DiLeo, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,147,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/637
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7509 for virus
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2201/291 End caps
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/08 Specific process operations in the concentrate stream
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/14 Pressure control
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2311/246 Concentration control
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/60 integrally combined with devices for controlling the filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/143 Filter condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/22 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 65/104 Detection of leaks in membrane apparatus or modules
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0618 of the filter type G01N15/0643 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/084 Testing filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00811 consumable or exchangeable components other than sample carriers, e.g. detectors, flow cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 210/905 Protein
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/115831 Condition or time responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention describes a system and method for accurately measuring the concentration of a substance within a filter housing. A concentration sensor and a communications device are coupled so as to be able to measure and transmit the concentration of a particular substance within the filter housing while in use. This system can comprise a single component, integrating both the communication device and the concentration sensor. Alternatively, the system can comprise separate sensor and transmitter components, in communication with one another. In yet another embodiment, a storage element can be added to the system, thereby allowing the device to store a set of concentration values. The use of this device is beneficial to many applications. For example, the ability to read concentration values in situ allows integrity tests to be performed without additional equipment.

Claims

1. A system for filtration comprising:

a filter housing;

one or more tangential flow filters located within said housing, each filter having a membrane through which filtrate may pass;

a concentration sensor located on said membrane of at least one of said tangential flow filters; and

a controller having a control loop adapted to adjust the transmembrane pressure of said system, based on the output of said concentration sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said concentration sensor is located at the outlet end of the flow channel.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter in communication with said concentration sensor, adapted to transmit concentration readings from said sensor.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a receiver, external to said housing, adapted to receive said concentration readings from said transmitter.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said controller is external to said housing.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an optical fiber through which an IR or UV measurement is made.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises an affinity based sensor, based on an optical, electrical or piezoelectric detection method.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said affinity based sensor comprises a microbalance and a suitable ligand.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein said transmitter utilizes wireless communication.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said wireless transmitter comprises an RFID tag.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said control loop employs a PID algorithm to calculate said transmembrane pressure.

12. A method of maintaining a protein concentration at the membrane surface of a tangential flow filtering element within a filter housing, comprising:

attaching a concentration sensor to the membrane surface of said filtering element;

monitoring the concentration of said protein using said sensor;

comparing said concentration to a predetermined range; and

adjusting the transmembrane pressure in response to said comparison.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said concentration sensor is in communication with a transmitter, further comprising the step of transmitting said monitored concentration to a receiver located outside of said housing using said transmitter.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said transmitter utilizes wireless communication.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said wireless transmitter comprises an RFID tag.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said adjustment is calculated using a PID loop.