Method for providing a circuit for biological liquid and circuit obtained

• US 9,528,085 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Reinbigler, Rene, Weissenbach, Jean-Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Khare, Atul P.
• Application Number:
  US12/685,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20100187167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,542 Days
• Field of Search: 264/500, 264/512, 264/513, 264/516, 264/523, 264/524, 264/529, 264/537, 264/572, 264/573, 264/325, 264/488, 264/525, 264/545
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0035 Gamma radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0689 Sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0816 Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/123 Flexible; Elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0481 squeezing of channels or chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0487 fluid pressure, pneumatics
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0655 pinch valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502707 characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components by shaping or joining plastic parts B29C59/00, B29C65/00; by laminating B32B37/00; manufacture of microstructural devices in general B81C
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/4805 by closing the mould halves
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/4807 by movable mould parts in the mould halves
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/08 Preforms made of several individual parts, e.g. by welding or gluing parts together
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/02 with incorporated heating or cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/0691 using sheet like material, e.g. sheet blow-moulding from joined sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/06914 using parallel sheets as a preform
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/06916 Means for avoiding parts of the sheets to stick together, e.g. to provide blow opening
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/4815 by means of movable mould parts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/0616 VLDPE, i.e. very low density polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/083 EVA, i.e. ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/086 : EVOH, i.e. ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 : Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7148 : Blood bags, medical bags
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/14 : Bags
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/26 : flexible flexible containers for laboratory use B01L3/505
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/28 : disposable or single use
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/04 : Filters; Permeable or porous membranes or plates, e.g. dialysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/10 : Separation or concentration of fermentation products bioreactors combined with means for distillation or extraction of liquid fuel C12M43/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 : Systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9029 : With coupling

Abstract

The method comprises the step of forming pipes (12) by clamping a bag between shells (13, 14) and by injecting an inflating agent via an inflating connector.

The circuit comprises a bag (126) and a press (10) comprising two shells (13, 14) clamping said bag in a state in which pipes (12) are formed between the films (25, 26) of the bag.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a circuit for routing biological liquid, the circuit comprising a press, a disposable bag, routing network connectors, and a routing network for routing the liquid between said connectors, the circuit being formed by steps of;

providing the disposable bag as two flexible films attached together by a seal delimiting a closed contour with said routing network connectors and an inflating connector, said routing network connectors and said inflating connector each opening respectively inside of said closed contour and outside of said closed contour;

providing the press as two shells, said shells each comprising at least one recessed channel; and

forming pipes of said routing network between said films by clamping said bag between said shells and by injecting a pneumatic inflating agent into said bag clamped between said shells via said inflating connector, said bag and said press being configured such that at least one of said pipes has a contour of which at least one portion is delimited exclusively by cooperation with said press, the portion of the contour of the at least one pipe which is delimited exclusively by cooperation with the press including contact zones between the films, said contact zones bordering said at least one pipe and being fluid-tight, and said injecting causing said pipes to each be formed into conformity with opposing recessed channels of the two shells to define said contour of which at least one portion is delimited exclusively by cooperation with said press;

wherein said circuit can only be used while said bag remains clamped between said shells.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said inflating connector is separate from said routing network connectors.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of forming said pipes comprises beginning the step of injecting said inflating agent before said clamping of said bag between said shells.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of injecting said inflating agent is preceded by pre-closing said press while said bag is in immediate proximity to each of the two shells.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of said recessed channels has a semi-circular cross-section.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the press comprises actuators of pinch valves and sensors of a physico-chemical value.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the actuators each comprise a body attached to one of said shells and a moveable finger capable of adopting a retracted position and a working position projecting from a respective recesses channel.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein each actuator enables one of said pipes to be pinched between said moveable finger to allow or prevent the passage of liquid at that location.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the sensors each comprise a body attached to one of said shells in register with a respective recessed channel, a distal end of the body opening into the respective recessed channel.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said physico-chemical value is a temperature or pressure which can be measured by contact of the distal end with a respective pipe without contacting fluid running through the respective pipe.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said shells are each formed from stainless steel and are each of a generally parallelepiped shape.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the seal delimiting the closed contour is formed at a periphery of the films.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing obturating plugs on each of the routing network connectors and on the inflating connector and sterilizing the bag by gamma irradiation.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said pneumatic inflating agent is compressed air purified through an hydrophobic filter.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein said pipes of the routing network are not pre-formed in the bags prior to said forming.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein each said recessed channel is bordered on each side by a groove in which is accommodated a respective bead of a network of beads serving to apply said flexible films against each other along said pipes.

17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a filter enclosed within said disposable bag.