Weighted microsponge for immobilizing bioactive material
First Claim
1. A weighted microsponge for immobilizing bioactive materials in motive bioreactor systems, said microsponge comprising a porous, biostable matrix of a biocompatible polymer containing an inert weighting material, said matrix having an open to the surface pore structure with an average pore size in the range of from about 1 to about 150 microns, the pores of said matrix occupying from about 70% to about 98% by volume of the microsponge, said microsponge also having an average particle size of from about 100 to about 1000 microns and a specific gravity of above about 1.05.
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Abstract
Weighted microsponges formed of a porous, biostable matrix of a biocompatible polymer containing an inert weighing material are prepared suitable for use in culturing organisms in motive reactor systems. The matrix has an open to the surface pore structure with an average pore size in the range of from about 1 to about 150 microns and the pores occupy from about 70 to about 98% by volume of the microsponge. The microsponges have an average particle size of from about 100 to about 1000 microns and a specific gravity of above about 1.05. Biocompatible polymers that can be used are polysaccharides, proteins and synthetic polymers and the weighing material can be metals, metal alloys, metal oxides or ceramics.
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Citations
21 Claims
- 1. A weighted microsponge for immobilizing bioactive materials in motive bioreactor systems, said microsponge comprising a porous, biostable matrix of a biocompatible polymer containing an inert weighting material, said matrix having an open to the surface pore structure with an average pore size in the range of from about 1 to about 150 microns, the pores of said matrix occupying from about 70% to about 98% by volume of the microsponge, said microsponge also having an average particle size of from about 100 to about 1000 microns and a specific gravity of above about 1.05.
- 11. A bioreactor system comprising a reactor vessel having aseptically sealed therein a plurality of sterilized weighted microsponges for immobilizing bioactive materials in motive bioreactor systems, said microsponges comprising a porous, biostable matrix of a biocompatible polymer containing an inert weighting material, said matrix having an open to the surface pore structure with an average pore size in the range of from above about 1 to about 150 microns, the pores of said matrix occupying from about 70% to about 98% by volume of the microsponge, said microsponge also having an average particle size of from bout 100 to about 1000 microns and a specific gravity of above about 1.05.
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14. A process for performing a bioreaction comprising:
- immobilizing a bioactive material in weighted microsponges comprising a porous, biostable matrix of a biocompatible polymer containing an inert weighting material, said matrix having an open to the surface pore structure with an average pore size in the range of from about 1 to about 150 microns, the pores of said matrix occupying from about 70% to about 98% by volume of the microsponge, said microsponge also having an average particle size of from about 100 to about 1000 microns and a specific gravity of above about 1.05, retaining the microsponges having said immobilized bioactive materials in a suitable reactor vessel;
passing a liquid reagent stream into said reactor in direct contact with said microsponges;
agitating the mixture of said microsponges and said reagent stream and recovering the biocohemical reaction products from said reactor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
- immobilizing a bioactive material in weighted microsponges comprising a porous, biostable matrix of a biocompatible polymer containing an inert weighting material, said matrix having an open to the surface pore structure with an average pore size in the range of from about 1 to about 150 microns, the pores of said matrix occupying from about 70% to about 98% by volume of the microsponge, said microsponge also having an average particle size of from about 100 to about 1000 microns and a specific gravity of above about 1.05, retaining the microsponges having said immobilized bioactive materials in a suitable reactor vessel;
Specification