Integrated bio-reactor monitor and control system

• US 9,405,300 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• 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): BOWERS, NATHAN ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US14/138,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 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: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25425 Personal computer
• 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. 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.

Claims

1. A system for generating an electronic history of a bioreactor control process, the system comprising:

a controller configured to determine control signals to carry out the bioreactor control process, the control signals based at least on information related to a condition in a bioreactor received in the controller over a first communication network; and

a utility tower configured to receive the control signals from the controller over a second communication network, the utility tower further configured to change a condition in the bioreactor, located external to the utility tower, based on the control signals, the utility tower comprising

a computer configured to record an electronic history of conditions occurring in the bioreactor and control actions performed by the utility tower on the bioreactor,

a monitoring system that transmits information related to a condition of the bioreactor to the controller over the first communication network, and

a supply system which supplies a substance to the bioreactor in response to a control signal communicated from the controller over the second communication network, wherein the supply system comprises a gas control system that receives a first control signal from the controller over the second communication network and changes the contents of the bioreactor by supplying a substance to or removing a substance from the bioreactor in response to the first control signal communicated from the controller over the second communication network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic history includes one or more data signals related to a condition of the bioreactor transmitted from the monitoring system to the controller.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more data signals recorded in the electronic history includes information relating to 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.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic history includes a log of changes in conditions in the bioreactor corresponding to control signals received in the utility tower from the controller over the second communication network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic history includes information relating to an amount of gas added or removed from the bioreactor, a type of gas added or removed from the bioreactor, an amount of liquid substance 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 substance from the bioreactor started, a time the addition or removal of liquid substance from the bioreactor ended, a time agitation started, and a time agitation ended.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic history is stored in the utility tower.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic history is stored separate from the utility tower.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to analyze the recorded electronic history to develop historical trending information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the bioreactor control process is developed using the historical trending information.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the utility tower further comprises an agitation system which agitates a solution in the bioreactor in response to a second control signal communicated from the controller over the second communication network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine control signals to carry out a bioreactor control process in a second bioreactor, the control signals based at least on information related to a condition in the second bioreactor received in the controller over the first communication network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the utility tower is configured to receive control signals from the controller over the second communication network to carry out the bioreactor control process in a second bioreactor, the utility tower further configured to change a condition in the second bioreactor based on the control signals.

13. A system comprising:

a controller configured to determine control signals to carry out a bioreactor control process, the control signals based at least on information related to a condition in a bioreactor received in the controller over a first communication network; and

a utility tower configured to receive the control signals from the controller over a second communication network, the utility tower further configured to change a condition in the bioreactor, located external to the utility tower, based on the control signals, the utility tower comprising

a computer configured to record an electronic history of conditions occurring in the bioreactor and control actions performed by the utility tower on the bioreactor,

a monitoring system that transmits information related to a condition of the bioreactor to the controller over the first communication network, and

a supply system which supplies a substance to the bioreactor in response to a control signal communicated from the controller over the second communication network, wherein the supply system comprise a pump control system that receives a first control signal from the controller over the second communication network and changes the contents of the bioreactor by supplying a substance to or removing a substance from the bioreactor in response to the first control signal communicated from the controller over the second communication network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the utility tower further comprises an agitation system which agitates a solution in the bioreactor in response to a second control signal communicated from the controller over the second communication network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the electronic history includes information relating to 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, or a concentration of dissolved oxygen condition of the bioreactor.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the electronic history includes information relating to an amount of gas added or removed from the bioreactor, a type of gas added or removed from the bioreactor, an amount of liquid substance 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 substance from the bioreactor started, a time the addition or removal of liquid substance from the bioreactor ended, a time agitation started, or a time agitation ended.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the electronic history is stored in the utility tower.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the electronic history is stored separate from the utility tower.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer is further configured to analyze the recorded electronic history to develop historical trending information.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the bioreactor control process is developed using the historical trending information.