Integrated bio-reactor monitor and control system

• US 9,982,225 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• 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:
  US15/166,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20160348059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• 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 method for controlling a process in a bioreactor, comprising:

communicating, through a first communication network, one or more data signals from a sensor system to a computer, the one or more data signals relating to material or information about the process in the bioreactor;

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

determining one or more control signals in the controller, the one or more control signals based on the bioreactor control process and the one or more data signals;

communicating, via the computer, the one or more control signals to the sensor system; and

performing a control action on the bioreactor based on the one or more control signals, 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 method of claim 1, wherein the computer is in communication with a utility tower housed separate from the controller.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the one or more data signals received in the computer on a display of the utility tower.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting user input provided on the display of the utility tower to the computer.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving, in the controller, the user input from the computer via the second communication network.

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

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating, via an Ethernet connection, information related to the one or more control signals to the utility tower housed separate from the controller.

8. The method 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.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising analyzing, in the controller, the one or more data signals to determine if the cell growth condition falls within a predetermined range of values.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the control action is performed when the cell growth condition falls within the predetermined range of values, and wherein the control action comprises removing a portion of cells from the bioreactor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the control action is performed when the cell growth condition falls outside the predetermined range of parameters.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the cell growth condition comprises a glucose level of the solution in the bioreactor, a cell density of the solution in the bioreactor, or a weight of the solution in the bioreactor.

13. A method for controlling a process in a bioreactor, comprising:

communicating, through a first communication network, one or more data signals from a sensor system to a computer, the one or more data signals relating to material or information about the process in the bioreactor;

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

determining one or more control signals in the controller, the one or more control signals based on the bioreactor control process and the one or more data signals;

communicating, via the computer, the one or more control signals to the sensor system; and

performing a first action based on the one or more control signals, wherein the first action comprises calibrating the sensor system, performing a diagnostic procedure in the sensor system, providing an additional data signal to the computer, or measuring a condition in the bioreactor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing a second action based on the one or more control signals, wherein the second action comprises supplying a substance to the bioreactor, removing a substance from the bioreactor, or agitating a solution in the bioreactor.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing an electronic history related to the process in the bioreactor.

16. The method of claim 15, 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 time agitation ended.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more data signals relate to at least one of a temperature condition of contents of the bioreactor, a pH condition of contents of the bioreactor, a dissolved oxygen (DO) condition of contents of the bioreactor, a glucose condition of contents of the bioreactor, a concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) condition of contents of the bioreactor, a concentration of carbon dioxide condition of contents of the bioreactor, a concentration of lactose condition of contents of the bioreactor, an optical density condition of contents of the bioreactor, a molecular analysis of contents of the bioreactor, a cell count of contents of the bioreactor, and a cell viability condition of contents of the bioreactor.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the bioreactor process comprises cell culture growth, microbial fermentation, semiconductor fabrication, or liquid chromatography.