Integrated bio-reactor monitor and control system
First Claim
1. A system for controlling a bioreactor process, comprising:
- a communication system comprising a first communication network, and a second communication network;
a controller configured with a bioreactor control process to receive information related to a condition in a bioreactor over said first communication network, to control the conditions in a bioreactor by determining control signals based on the bioreactor control process and information received related to a condition in the bioreactor, and to send the control signals over said communication system to a utility tower over said second communication network; and
a utility tower, housed separately from the bioreactor and coupled to said controller via said communication system, configured to receive the control signals from the controller over the second communication network and to change a condition in the bioreactor based on the control signals, said utility tower comprisinga monitoring system that transmits information related to a condition of the bioreactor to said controller via said first communication network,a bioreactor supply system which supplies a substance to the bioreactor in response to a control signal received from said controller, andan agitation system which agitates the solution in the bioreactor in response to a control signal received from said controller.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for automatically controlling conditions of a process are disclosed. In one example, a controller is programmed with a sequence of steps and parameters required to carry out a bioreactor process. The controller receives information related to a condition of the process over a first communication network, determines a control signal based on the received information and the programmed process, and sends the control signal over a second communication network to a benchtop utility tower. In one example, the utility tower can include transmitters for temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen that send information related to a condition of the process to the controller over the first communication network, and an agitation system, a gas control system, a temperature control system and a pump control system that perform a control action based on the control signal affecting the process condition. The utility tower can include a computer with a human-machine interface that communicates with the controller over a third communication network.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for controlling a bioreactor process, comprising:
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a communication system comprising a first communication network, and a second communication network; a controller configured with a bioreactor control process to receive information related to a condition in a bioreactor over said first communication network, to control the conditions in a bioreactor by determining control signals based on the bioreactor control process and information received related to a condition in the bioreactor, and to send the control signals over said communication system to a utility tower over said second communication network; and a utility tower, housed separately from the bioreactor and coupled to said controller via said communication system, configured to receive the control signals from the controller over the second communication network and to change a condition in the bioreactor based on the control signals, said utility tower comprising a monitoring system that transmits information related to a condition of the bioreactor to said controller via said first communication network, a bioreactor supply system which supplies a substance to the bioreactor in response to a control signal received from said controller, and an agitation system which agitates the solution in the bioreactor in response to a control signal received from said controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for monitoring and controlling a process in a controlled chamber, the process comprising a sequence of steps and at least one parameter relating to a condition of the process, comprising:
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a communication system comprising a first communication network and a second communication network; a controller configured with a chamber control process, and said controller configured to receive information related to a condition in the chamber over the first communication network, and to control the chamber process by determining a control action required to carry out the process based on the chamber control process and the received information, to generate a control signal corresponding to the control action, and to send the control signal over said communication system over the second communication network; and a utility tower, housed separately from the chamber and coupled to said controller via said communication system, configured to provide information related to a condition in the chamber to said controller via said communication system, to receive the control signal from said controller and to change a condition of the chamber based on the control signal, said utility tower comprising a monitoring system that transmits information related to a condition of the chamber to said controller via said communication system, a temperature control system which changes the temperature of the chamber in response to a control signal, and a chamber supply system which supplies a substance to the bioreactor in response to the control signal.
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Specification