Integrated bio-reactor monitor and control system

• US 9,353,347 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New England Controls, Inc. (Enerpac Tool Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Broadley James Corporation
• Inventors: West, Larry Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Beisner, William H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENKEL, DANIELLE B
• Application Number:
  US14/304,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20150010990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/48 Automatic or computerized control automatic analysis G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 3/00 Condition responsive control processes apparatus therefor C12M1/36; controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 21/02 characterised by the use of electric means

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. A sensor system interacts with the bioreactor to receive information related to a condition of the bioreactor and/or receive a sample from the bioreactor, which it analyzes. The sensor system sends data signals related to the information and/or the sample to a controller, which determines a control signal based on the received information. The controller sends the control signal to the sensor system which, based on the control signal, performs an action that affects a condition of the bioreactor or affects the sensor system itself.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling a process in a bioreactor, the control system comprising:

a computer configured to receive, via a first communication network, one or more data signals relating to material or information about the process in the bioreactor;

a controller housed separate from the computer and configured with a bioreactor control process to control conditions in the bioreactor, the controller configured to receive, via a second communication network, the one or more data signals from the computer; and

control signals determined in the controller based on the bioreactor control process and the one or more data signals, the control signals transmitted from the controller to the computer via the second communication network and including instructions to a sensor system to perform a control action on the bioreactor, the control action comprising at least one of supplying a substance to the bioreactor, removing a substance from the bioreactor, and agitating a solution in the bioreactor.

2. The control system of claim 1, further comprising a utility tower housed separate from the controller, wherein the computer is in communication with the utility tower.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the utility tower comprises a display configured to display the one or more data signals received in the computer.

4. The control system of claim 2, wherein the display is configured to transmit user input provided on the display to the computer.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to receive the user input from the computer via the second communication network.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the control signals determined in the controller are based at least in part on the user input received from the computer.

7. The control system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to communicate, via an Ethernet connection, information related to the control signals to the utility tower housed separate from the controller.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the one or more data signals received in the controller from the computer relate to a cell growth condition in the bioreactor, and wherein the controller is configured to analyze the one or more data signals to determine if the cell grown condition falls within a predetermined range of values.

9. The control system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to initiate a control action to harvest a portion of cells from the bioreactor when the cell growth condition falls within the predetermined range of values.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein the control signals include instructions to calibrate the sensor system, perform a diagnostic procedure in the sensor system, provide an additional data signal to the computer, or measure a condition in the bioreactor.

11. The control system of claim 1, further comprising memory for storing an electronic history related to the process in the bioreactor.

12. The control system of claim 1, wherein the electronic history includes information on at least one of an amount of gas added or removed from the bioreactor, a type of gas added or removed from the bioreactor, an amount of liquid added or removed from the bioreactor, a type of fluid added or removed from the bioreactor, a duration of agitation of contents of the bioreactor, a speed of an impeller during agitation of contents of the bioreactor, a time the addition or removal of gas started, a time the addition or removal of gas ended, a time the addition or removal of liquid from the bioreactor started, a time the addition or removal of liquid from the bioreactor ended, a time agitation started, and a the time agitation ended.

13. The control system of claim 1, wherein the one or more data signals relate to at least one of a temperature condition of the bioreactor, a pH condition of the bioreactor, a dissolved oxygen (DO) condition of the bioreactor, a glucose condition of the bioreactor, and a concentration of dissolved oxygen condition of the bioreactor.

14. The control system of claim 1, wherein the bioreactor process comprises cell culture growth, microbial fermentation, semiconductor fabrication, or liquid chromatography.