Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
  • G01N27/26—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating electrochemical variables; by using electrolysis or electrophoresis
  • G01N27/28—Electrolytic cell components
  • G01N27/283—Means for supporting or introducing electrochemical probes

Definitions

• the invention relates to a fitting for receiving a probe, in particular a probe or a sampling probe, with a housing having a space for receiving the probe and a first chamber for receiving a first fluid, with the space for receiving the probe or comprises, and which comprises a connecting portion, by means of which the housing is connectable or in communication with a container which serves to receive a medium whose property is to be measured with the probe or from which a sample is to be taken wherein the probe has a particular substantially cylindrical, elongated shaft which is displaceable in the axial direction with respect to the housing
• These retractable housings, lock fittings or Meßwertgeber- devices have a rinsing chamber into which the probe or a sensor can be temporarily moved during calibration for calibration purposes and can be brought into contact with a calibration liquid therein.
• the probe or its sensor can be rinsed and / or sterilized and then moved back into the product to measure its pH.
• a second chamber for receiving a second fluid is provided, which between the first chamber and the connecting portion of the housing is arranged.
• an additional chamber is provided in which a second fluid can be accommodated, wherein the second chamber between the first chamber and the medium to be measured or the connecting portion of the housing is arranged.
• Defective seals reduce the likelihood of contamination of the medium by the first fluid as well as contamination of the first fluid by the medium.
• the fitting according to the present invention allows a metrological monitoring of selected properties of the second fluid, which allows an immediate detection of a seal damage.
• Possible modes of operation of the first and second chambers or process modes are, for example, rinsing, sterilizing, blowing out, emptying, suction, superimposing with blocking medium, etc. Normal pressure, overpressure and also vacuum operation of the first and / or the second fluid are conceivable.
• product features or characteristics of the medium that can be considered critical are valuable, expensive, combustible, corrosive, toxic, biohazardous, radioactive, etc.
• the inlet and / or the outlet of the second chamber are arranged such that they open in a region in the second chamber, which faces the first chamber. If there is a leakage between the first chamber and the second chamber, in particular the said arrangement of the sequence causes the fluid entering from the first chamber to be detected at an early stage, so that appropriate measures can be taken in good time.
• a second seal is provided, which seals the second chamber from the environment, in particular with respect to the container interior. Also, this seal is preferably designed such that it surrounds an inserted probe sealing. The seal is also made here between the outside of the probe and the inside of the housing.
• the housing is rotationally symmetrical and the first and the second chamber are arranged coaxially in the housing.
• the measuring device can be arranged inside or outside the second chamber. It is conceivable, for example, that within the second chamber, a measuring device is arranged, which measures a certain property of the second fluid, which changes upon entry of the first fluid and / or from the medium to be measured in the second chamber.
• the invention also includes the case where the measuring device is arranged outside the second chamber. It is conceivable, for example, that the second chamber is flowed through by the second fluid and that a property of the effluent from the second chamber medium is detected by the Mes s device.
• said pumps are on the inlet side with different storage containers in combination, which store the corresponding liquids (rinsing and calibration liquids).
• the rinsing and calibrating fluids may be sterile.
• the valve further comprises a drive unit, by means of which the probe inserted into the housing can be moved between different positions.
• the probe can be flushed by means of such a drive unit between an operating position in which a property of the medium is to be measured or sampled and in a further position in which the probe is purged is calibrated or the sample is dispensed from the probe.
• Delay switches or initiators can be used to control the stroke.
• the invention also relates to the fitting according to the invention, in the housing of a probe, in particular a sampling probe or a pH probe is added.
• the probe can be arranged in the housing manually or by means of the drive unit in different positions movable.
• the different positions may include a first position in which at least a portion of the probe projects into a medium received in a container with which the fitting communicates and a second position containing at least a portion of the probe located in the first chamber.
• the said area of the probe may be a sensor of the probe or a sampling device of the probe.
• a rinsing or a calibration solution or a sterilizing fluid is received or that the first chamber is flowed through by a rinsing or calibration solution or a sterilizing fluid.
• a fluid which is received in the first chamber and absorbed in relation to the medium received in the container, is received in the second chamber, or that such a fluid flows through the second chamber.
• a fluid is in this sense uncritical if it is biologically and / or chemically and / or physically neutral to the product and / or the liquid in the chamber.
• the second chamber can thus be traversed by the medium whose property is to be measured or sampled, and the first fluid by neutral fluid barrier medium or flushing medium, such as distilled water or such a medium can in the second chamber available.
• the term "container” is to be understood as meaning any unit in which a medium can be taken up or through which a medium flows, for example, reactors, storage or preparation containers, or conduits or containers Line sections.
• the fitting according to the invention may further comprise a third chamber, which connects to the first chamber at the side facing away from the second chamber.
• the third chamber serves to clean and disinfect an axial portion of the probe shaft that is behind the first chamber during calibration and sterilization of the probe, and that there is no germ entrainment when this axial section of the probe shaft moves the probe enters the measuring position in the first chamber.
• a measuring device may be provided, by means of which at least one property of the one located in the third chamber or flowing out of this second fluid is measurable.
• the valve may be designed as a pneumatically controllable or "inflatable” seal, the seal can either seal under pressure and in the relaxed state, ie without pressure, is open, or vice versa
• a pneumatically controllable or "inflatable” seal the seal can either seal under pressure and in the relaxed state, ie without pressure, is open, or vice versa
• the advantage of such a seal is that the seal will be relaxed during sterilization of the probe shaft and spaced from the probe shaft so that no poorly or non-cleanable gaps remain during cleaning.
• FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the detail "x" according to FIG. 1.
• FIG. 1 The drawing of FIG. 1 is divided into sections A-F, wherein the section A indicates the reactor or product space in which the medium is present, whose property is to be measured or from which a sample can be taken.
• Section B comprises the so-called blocking medium space, section C the so-called rinsing, changing and calibration space, section D the so-called lantern, section E the drive and section F the shutter and the sensor connection.
• the probe 20 is displaceable between an operating position and a maintenance position.
• the probe 20 In the position shown in the drawing, the probe 20 is in its operating position, in which the openings 21 dive into the medium, which in the area A, i. located in the container 50.
• the medium is also due to the openings 21 to the sensor 22, so that the desired property, for example, the pH can be detected.
• the compressed air port 122 shown on the left is pressurized with compressed air, whereupon the piston 110 and thus also the probe 20 is moved to the right.
• the openings 21 and the probe 22 are in the position indicated by dashed lines.
• the first chamber 30 has an inlet 32 and a drain 34.
• the inlet 32 communicates with the pressure side of the pump 90, by means of which rinsing liquid, calibration liquid or any other liquid is passed through the chamber 30.
• the pump 90 communicates with various storage containers, which may be connected individually or cumulatively to the pump inlet to direct the desired medium through the first chamber 30.
• CIP cleaning in place
• SIP sterilization in place
• the openings 21 and the sensor 22 are in the maintenance position within the chamber 30. If the chamber flows through rinsing or Kalibrier thoroughlykeiten, carried out according to a cleaning or calibration of the sensor 22nd
• the fitting according to the invention has a connecting portion 40, by means of which the fitting or the housing 10 is in communication with the container 50 in which the medium is located, whose property is to be measured.
• the container has an opening in which a neck is welded, which has an external thread, which is in engagement with a union nut in the connecting portion 40 of the housing 10, so that the housing 10 firmly, but releasably in communication with the container 50.
• the probe 20 is inserted with its sensor 22 having portion in the container 50, as can be seen from Figure 1.
• the second chamber 60 is also penetrated by the probe 20, as can be seen from the figure.
• the chambers 30 and 60 are spaced apart in the axial direction of the housing 10 and the probe 20 and arranged coaxially.
• the second chamber 60 has an inlet 62 and a drain 64, by means of which the second fluid is introduced into the second chamber 60 and withdrawn therefrom.
• the delivery of the second fluid or of the barrier fluid can take place continuously or discontinuously by means of the pump 80, which is connected on the pressure side to the inlet 62 and on the suction side to a container with barrier liquid.
• the second fluid is a liquid which is non-critical with respect to the medium in the container 50 and to the fluid in the first chamber 30, i. H. if it is biologically and / or chemically and / or physically neutral to the product and / or liquid in the chamber 30.
• the second chamber 60 is supplied with WFI (water for injection) according to pharmacopoeia.
• the second chamber 60 like the first chamber 30, has two axially spaced apertures in which the already mentioned seal 70 and the seal 72 are arranged, which seals the chamber 60 with respect to the interior of the probe when the probe 20 is inserted Container 50 and with respect to the first chamber 30 effect.
• a device for measuring the temperature, pressure and properties of the second fluid is located in the region of the discharge line which is connected to the drain 64. Properties may be biological and / or chemical and / or physical properties.
• a leak can be detected immediately due to the measurement of a property of the exiting from the second chamber 60 second fluid, so that immediately appropriate measures can be taken. It is conceivable that the measured parameters are used directly for process automation. An unnoticed, longer-lasting leakage that leads to the mentioned contamination can thus be excluded.
• Another advantage is that the seals 70, 70 'and 72 can be designed according to the properties of the adjacent media or fluids and that fewer compromises have to be made with regard to the selection of the sealing material.
• FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the detail "x" according to FIG. 1 and thus relates to the sealing between the region A and the second chamber 60 or between the second chamber 60 and the first chamber 30.
• a third chamber 290 is provided to sterilize a rear Schaftabschitt, which is in the retracted position of the probe 220 between the pneumatic drive unit in the third chamber .
• the chamber comprises connections 292, 294 for a supply line and a discharge line for the required media.
• the arrangement according to the invention is not limited to the field of sterile solutions, but can be used anywhere in the form of retractable fittings, where contamination of the product or an auxiliary medium prevented for different reasons or a seal damage must be detected or leakage of the product from area A into the environment must be prevented.
• Fields of application are, for example, pharmacy, chemistry, biotechnology, nuclear technology and other critical processes in processing and process engineering.
• the fitting of the invention allows in particular the use of extensive inline process analysis in the production process, eg. NIR (near-infrared) and / or MIR (mid-infrared).

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electrochemistry (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Immunology (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)
• External Artificial Organs (AREA)
• Automatic Analysis And Handling Materials Therefor (AREA)
• Investigating Or Analysing Biological Materials (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (28)

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• 2005
  • 2005-10-26 DE DE102005051279A patent/DE102005051279B4/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2006
  • 2006-10-26 JP JP2008537100A patent/JP4782204B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2006-10-26 WO PCT/EP2006/067810 patent/WO2007048821A2/de active Application Filing
  • 2006-10-26 EP EP06807575A patent/EP1941267A2/de not_active Ceased
  • 2006-10-26 US US12/083,921 patent/US20090214387A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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