Device for agitating media

• US 8,186,870 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH (Sartorius AG)
• Original Assignee: Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH (Sartorius AG)
• Inventors: Baumfalk, Reinhard, Obermann, Stefan, Schmelig, Christian, Goren, Len, Clapp, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): SOOHOO, TONY GLEN
• Application Number:
  US11/666,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,415 Days
• Field of Search: 366/142, 366/214
• US Class Current: 366/142
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/22 with supporting means moving in a horizontal plane, e.g. describing an orbital path for moving the containers about an axis which intersects the receptacle axis at an angle

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for agitating media (1), which are located on a platform (3). Said device consists of a housing (2) with an agitation mechanism, which is used to agitate the platform (3) and at least one sensor (4, 5), which is connected to a control unit (7) that is equipped with an electronic sensor system (6). According to the invention, the sensor(s) (4, 5) and the electronic sensor system (6) are located on the platform (3) and communicate in a wireless manner with the fixed control unit (7).

Claims

1. An apparatus for agitating media comprising:

at least one container (8) containing the media,

a shelf (3) for supporting the at least one container (8) containing the media,

a fixed housing (2) with an agitating mechanism, which can be used to cause the shelf (3) to make agitating movements relative to the fixed housing (2),

at least one sensor (4, 5), sensor electronics (6) and a central interface (11) connected to one another and arranged on the shelf (3), the at least one sensor (4, 5), the sensor electronics (6) and the central interface (11) being fixedly arranged relative to the at least one container (8) and the shelf (3), the central interface (11) on the shelf (3) including a signal transmitter (13), and

the fixed housing (2) including a fixed control unit (7) and a fixed interface (12) with a signal receiver (14) that communicates wirelessly with the signal transmitter (13) on the shelf for receiving signals from the sensor (4, 5), the fixed control unit (7) being spaced from the shelf (3) and receiving the signals from the signal receiver (14).

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one sensor (4, 5) comprises a plurality of sensors (4, 5) arranged on the shelf (3), in that the shelf (3) has a central data bus (10) provided on it which is used, with the aid of the sensor electronics (6), for the communication between the sensors (4, 5) and the central interface (11) on the shelf (3).

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the central interface (11) has a communication receiver (15) which receives signals wirelessly from a communication transmitter (16) on the fixed interface (12), said communication transmitter being connected to the control unit (7).

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the fixed interface (12) is connected to the control unit (7) via a data line.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the control unit (7) is formed by a computer.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that measured signals from the sensors (4, 5) which have been collected and conditioned by the sensor electronics (6) can be routed to the central interface (11) via the central data bus (10).

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the wireless communication is produced by means of RFID technology.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one container (8) comprises a plurality of agitating flasks (8) and in that the media (9) are in agitating flasks (8) arranged on the shelf (3).

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the at least one sensor (4, 5) comprises a wireless sensor (4) next to at least one of the agitating flasks (8) for measuring the medium (9).

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the wireless sensor (4) is an optical sensor.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the at least one sensor (4, 5) is a probe (5), which can be arranged in the agitating flask (8), with a wire link to the sensor electronics (6).

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a power supply for the sensors (4, 5) and for the sensor electronics (6).

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that a fixed power transmitter (17) is provided on the housing (2) and a power receiver (18) is provided on the shelf (3), the fixed power transmitter (17) transmitting power wirelessly to the power receiver (18).

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that an inductive power supply is provided.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that an RFID link is installed for the power supply.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a generator which can be driven by the movement of the shelf (3) is provided for the power supply for the sensors (4, 5) and for the sensor electronics (6).

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one container (8) comprises a plurality of agitating flasks (8) arranged on the shelf (3), the at least one sensor (4, 5) comprises a plurality of wireless optical sensors (4) arranged in proximity to the respective flasks on the shelf and a plurality of probes (5) connected by wire links to the sensor electronic (6) and disposed in the respective containers (8).