OPTIMIZATION OF SEPARATION FOR VISCOUS SUSPENSIONS
First Claim
1. A method for purifying one or more target substances from a viscous source material, said process comprising:
- contacting the viscous source material with a diluent in an amount sufficient to reduce the viscosity of the viscous source material and form a continuous stream of diluted source material, wherein the diluent is contained in a separated vessel from the viscous source material;
flowing the diluted source material into a recirculation loop of a first cross-flow filter apparatus;
diafiltering the diluted source material with sufficient diafiltration buffer retained in a buffer reservoir so as to recover the desired yield of the target substance by passing said target substance into the first permeate fluid;
flowing the first permeate fluid containing the target substance to a end product vessel;
flowing out the first retentate solution from the recirculating liquid of the first cross-flow filter into a second cross-flow filter unit, wherein the flow rate of the first retentate solution is at the same flow rate as the diluted source material being fed into the recirculation loop of the first cross-flow filter apparatus;
diafiltering the flow of retentate into the second cross-flow filter unit with sufficient diafiltration buffer so as to recover the desired yield of the target substance by passing said target substance into the second permeate fluid;
flowing the second permeate fluid containing the target substance to the end product vessel;
concentrating the first and second retentate fluid by flowing same to a third cross-flow filter apparatus communicatively connected with the second cross-flow filter unit, wherein the volume of the third retentate fluid is reduced to the approximate volume of the undiluted source material or less thereby forming a waste stream for further use;
recirculating the third permeate fluid back to the diluent vessel for reuse;
concentrating the first and second permeate fluid by flowing same to a fourth cross-flow filter apparatus communicatively connected to the end product vessel wherein target substance is concentrated and diafiltration buffer is removed in fourth permeate stream and recirculated for reuse.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods and systems for optimization of dilution of a viscous starting material to isolate and/or concentrate the product of interest from the starting source material such that the process minimizes the volume of diluent and the total volume of the waste stream generated during the process as well as maximizing the yield of desired product. The system employs cross-flow filtration modules with sub-channels that are equidistant to the inlet and outlet of said modules and such modules are characterized by optimal channel height, optimal transmembrane pressure, etc., which are selected in order to achieve the best combination of product quality and production yield.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for purifying one or more target substances from a viscous source material, said process comprising:
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contacting the viscous source material with a diluent in an amount sufficient to reduce the viscosity of the viscous source material and form a continuous stream of diluted source material, wherein the diluent is contained in a separated vessel from the viscous source material; flowing the diluted source material into a recirculation loop of a first cross-flow filter apparatus; diafiltering the diluted source material with sufficient diafiltration buffer retained in a buffer reservoir so as to recover the desired yield of the target substance by passing said target substance into the first permeate fluid; flowing the first permeate fluid containing the target substance to a end product vessel; flowing out the first retentate solution from the recirculating liquid of the first cross-flow filter into a second cross-flow filter unit, wherein the flow rate of the first retentate solution is at the same flow rate as the diluted source material being fed into the recirculation loop of the first cross-flow filter apparatus; diafiltering the flow of retentate into the second cross-flow filter unit with sufficient diafiltration buffer so as to recover the desired yield of the target substance by passing said target substance into the second permeate fluid; flowing the second permeate fluid containing the target substance to the end product vessel; concentrating the first and second retentate fluid by flowing same to a third cross-flow filter apparatus communicatively connected with the second cross-flow filter unit, wherein the volume of the third retentate fluid is reduced to the approximate volume of the undiluted source material or less thereby forming a waste stream for further use; recirculating the third permeate fluid back to the diluent vessel for reuse; concentrating the first and second permeate fluid by flowing same to a fourth cross-flow filter apparatus communicatively connected to the end product vessel wherein target substance is concentrated and diafiltration buffer is removed in fourth permeate stream and recirculated for reuse. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system comprising:
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a first reservoir constructed and arranged for holding a diluent solution, and for selectively flowing liquid into and out of said first reservoir; a second reservoir constructed and arranged for holding a starting material, and for selectively flowing liquid into and out of said second reservoir, a first cross-flow filtration apparatus for separating liquids into permeate and retentate streams, provided with means for flowing liquid in from the first and second reservoir and permeate and retentate streams out of said first cross-flow filtration apparatus; a second cross-flow filtration apparatus for receiving retentate from the first cross-flow filtration apparatus and separating liquids into permeate and retentate streams, provided with means for flowing liquid in and permeate and retentate streams out of said second cross-flow filtration apparatus; a third reservoir constructed and arranged for holding a buffer, and for selectively flowing liquid into the first and second cross-flow filtration apparatus and out of said third reservoir and; a third cross-flow filtration apparatus for separating liquids into permeate and retentate streams, provided with means for flowing liquid in and permeate and retentate streams out of said third cross-flow filtration apparatus; a product reservoir constructed and arranged for holding the isolated product received as permeate from the first and second cross-flow filtration apparatus, and for selectively flowing liquid into and out of the product reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A method to optimize dilution, separation and concentration of a desired endproduct from a viscous material, the method comprising:
diluting a cell suspension with different dilution amounts and rates to determine the minimal amount of dilution to maximize the amount of endproduct recovered. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
Specification