TWM508366U - Switchable washing accessory device - Google Patents

Description

Switchable cleaning aid

The present invention relates to a switchable cleaning aid, and more particularly to a switchable cleaning aid for cleaning a tangential flow filtration system.

Tangential Flow Filtration, abbreviated as TFF, is a means of rapidly filtering large volumes of fluid samples. 1 is a schematic diagram of the TFF technique, which basically uses a pump 92 to feed a fluid stock solution in the hopper 91 via an inlet conduit 93 to a tubular filter 94 having a selected aperture, while a downstream of the membrane 94 is used. The flow valve 95 reduces the diameter of the tube to create a lateral pressure that forces the small molecules to pass through the filter 94 so that the filtrate 96 can be collected in the lateral direction. The residual liquid remaining in the filter membrane 94 can be directly discarded via the outlet conduit 97 or returned to the hopper 91 for filtration again. Compared with the traditional end-end filtration method, because of the same flow direction and the filtering direction of the original liquid, there is a problem that the residue is blocked and the filtration efficiency is low. The advantage of the TFF technology is that the flow direction of the raw liquid is orthogonal to the filtering direction. The macromolecule does not become stuck on the membrane 94, but is dissipated as the stock solution flows, so the filtration efficiency is very high, and thus it is suitable for an industrial scale mass production purification process.

In general, the filter 94 can be reused as long as it is properly cleaned, and the economic benefit is relatively high. Therefore, the cleaning of the filter 94 is a very important step in the maintenance of the TFF equipment. The cleaning membrane 94 can remove macromolecular impurities and cell debris adhering to the membrane 94 during filtration to maintain the smoothness of the membrane 94, and on the other hand can remove microorganisms and their metabolites, not only for the preservation of the membrane 94. Provide a clean and hygienic environment to avoid cross-contamination between different stock samples. However, the cleaning step of the filter 94 is rather complicated and cumbersome, and usually includes three steps of washing with a large amount of water, lye or acid washing, and washing with a surfactant, and each step is as long as several hours, often every The washing liquid was manually replaced in a few hours, resulting in waste of manpower. Further, as shown in Fig. 2, during the washing process, the inlet conduit 93 is very easily adsorbed to the bottom of the washing liquid tank due to the negative pressure caused by the liquid flow, so that the washing liquid cannot smoothly flow from the inlet conduit 93 into the filter membrane. 94, so it is often necessary to spend manpower to check from time to time, or even take care of the whole process.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art to develop a switchable cleaning aid that overcomes one or more of the above disadvantages.

In view of this, the creators of this case have developed a new and useful switchable cleaning aid through the research and development process, especially a switchable cleaning aid suitable for cleaning the tangential flow filtration system. The device comprises: a first storage tank, a second storage tank and a third storage tank, which are fluidly isolated from each other; a multi-way switching valve having a first inlet connected to the first storage tank and communicating with the second storage a second inlet of the tank, a third inlet connected to the third tank, and an outlet; wherein the multi-way switching valve is operable to selectively activate the first inlet, the second inlet, and the third inlet One or more are in fluid communication with the outlet.

Accordingly, the present invention can greatly reduce the labor required to clean the tangential flow filtration system by using existing devices and methods by simple valve position switching.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the multi-way switching valve includes four valve positions, and wherein when the multi-way switching valve is in the first valve position, the first inlet, the second inlet, and the third inlet are all closed. And when the multi-way switching valve is switched to the second, third or fourth valve position, the first inlet, the second inlet and the third inlet are respectively opened to respectively output in the first, second or third storage tank Washing liquid.

According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the multiplex valve is configured to be activated to selectively cause two or three of the first inlet, the second inlet, and the third inlet to simultaneously be fluid with the outlet Connected to simultaneously output the washing liquid of the first, second or third storage tank.

According to still another preferred aspect of the present invention, the first, second or third storage tank is formed to have an undulating bottom, and more preferably a bottom is provided with a grille to prevent the inlet duct of the TFF system from being attracted to At the bottom of the tank, the influx of washing liquid is not smooth.

In accordance with yet another preferred aspect of the present invention, the multi-way switching valve is coupled to a processor, and the processor is programmed to indicate a multi-way switching valve switching valve position. In this way, the automatic switching of the valve position is achieved, and the manpower is further saved.

The characteristics of this creation can be clearly understood by referring to the detailed description of the drawings and the examples.

3 is a schematic view showing a specific example of the present invention, which shows that the switchable cleaning auxiliary device 100 includes at least a first storage tank 10, a second storage tank 20 and a third storage tank 30, and a multi-way switching valve. (multiport selector valve) 40. The first storage tank 10, the second storage tank 20 and the third storage tank 30 are provided for accommodating different types of washing liquid, so that the respective storage tanks are fluidly isolated. The volume of each storage tank is not limited and depends on the amount of washing liquid consumed during the washing process, and is usually in the range of 1 liter to 100 liters, for example, 5 to 50 liters.

In general, the first reservoir 10, the second reservoir 20, and the third reservoir 30 are made of an inert material that does not physically and chemically react with the contents. In a preferred embodiment, each of the reservoirs is made of a medical grade plastic, more preferably a medical grade plastic that meets biocompatibility requirements, such as a compliance with the US Food and Drug Administration. Plastic materials for the ISO-10993-1 specification (FDA-modified ISO-10993-1) or the United States Pharmacopoeia Level 6 standard (USP XXV class VI). Types of these medical grade plastics include, but are not limited to, polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), PA6/66 nylon plastic, polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (PC/ABS) ) Composite plastics, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethyleneimine (PEI), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene ( Plastic materials such as PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). In another preferred embodiment, each reservoir is made of a medical grade metal material, such as a medical grade stainless steel or titanium metal material.

The manufacturing process of the first storage tank 10, the second storage tank 20, and the third storage tank 30 is familiar to those of ordinary skill in the related art, and can be adjusted depending on the material. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first storage tank 10, the second storage tank 20, and the third storage tank 30 are formed into three independent storage tanks by a plurality of processes, as shown in FIG. . According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first storage tank 10, the second storage tank 20, and the third storage tank 30 may be integrally formed or individually formed and assembled to form a storage tank assembly, such as the fourth. The figure shows. In one embodiment of the present creation, a cart 50 may be disposed below the tank assembly to facilitate movement of the tank assembly.

The term "multi-way switching valve" as used in the specification means a valve valve having at least three inlets and a common outlet, which can mechanically switch between different inlets to control the respective inlets to the common outlet. Connected or not, which usually has a manifold system in the content, and the switching of the valve position can change the channel within the system. In the specific example shown in Fig. 3, the multiplex valve 40 has a first inlet 41, a second inlet 42 and a third inlet 43, and an outlet 44 for cleaning the equipment in response to the use of three different washing liquids. In this specific example, the first inlet 41, the second inlet 42 and the third inlet 43 are in communication with the first storage tank 10, the second storage tank 20 and the third storage tank 30, respectively, and the multi-way switching valve 40 has four Valve position. In other words, when the multiplex valve 40 is in the first valve position, all of the inlets are closed and cannot be in fluid communication with the outlet 44, at which point the outlet 44 does not output any wash liquid. When the multiplex valve 40 is switched to the second valve position, the first inlet 41 is opened, and the second inlet 42 and the third inlet 43 are still closed, so that only the washing liquid in the first sump 10 is output by the outlet 44. In contrast, if the multi-way switching valve 40 is switched to the third valve position, only the second inlet 42 is opened, and only the washing liquid in the second storage tank 20 is output from the outlet 44. Similarly, when the multiplex valve 40 is switched to the fourth valve position, only the third inlet 43 is opened, and only the washing liquid in the third sump 30 is outputted from the outlet 44. Therefore, one of the first inlet 41, the second inlet 42 and the third inlet 43 can be selectively brought to the outlet 44 by activating the multiplex valve 40 at a set time to be sequentially located at different valve positions. Fluidly connected to output the selected wash liquid.

For example, when cleaning the filter 94 of the aforementioned TFF system, the washing liquid frequently used in the order of washing includes: (1) a large amount of fresh water or deionized water, preferably in an amount of 10 to 100 liters, for example, 25 to 50 liters; (2) an aqueous NaOH solution having a temperature of 50 ^o C and a concentration of 0.1-1 N for removing aggregates of organic matter and biomacromolecules; and (3) an aqueous solution of a surfactant such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or An aqueous solution of Triton X-100 (Triton X-100) for removing proteins, biological polymers, fats, oils, and the like. In this case, the clean water/deionized water and the prepared aqueous NaOH solution and the surfactant aqueous solution may be placed in the first storage tank 10, the second storage tank 20, and the third storage tank 30, respectively, and the multiplex switching may be performed. The outlet 44 of the valve 40 is connected to the conduit 93. The multi-way switching valve 40 is sequentially switched to the second, third, and fourth valve positions according to the predetermined time course, so that the first inlet 41, the second inlet 42 and the third inlet 43 are sequentially in fluid communication with the outlet 44, thereby lending The water/deionized water, the aqueous NaOH solution, and the aqueous surfactant solution are sequentially introduced into the TFF system by the pump 92 to achieve the purpose of cleaning the filter 94.

As is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the multiplex valve 40 can also be configured to have more than three inlets, for example, four, five, six, seven, eight or more inlets. In order to meet the needs of more kinds of washing liquid. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, an aqueous solution of an organic or inorganic acid such as nitric acid, phosphoric acid or citric acid is further used to remove inorganic clogging. In this example, a multi-way switching valve 40 having four inlets and five valve positions can be used, with four reservoirs to implement the creation.

Depending on the actual needs, the multiplex valve 40 can also be configured to be activated to selectively cause two or three of the first inlet 41, the second inlet 42 and the third inlet 43 to simultaneously be fluid with the outlet 44. Connected to simultaneously output a variety of different types of wash solutions.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a processor 45 can be operatively coupled to the multiplex valve 40, and the processor 45 can be programmed to indicate that the multiplex valve 40 is based on operating time or output volume. Switch the valve position. Thereby, the switching of the multi-way switching valve 40 can be automatically controlled according to the program setting of the software, thereby further saving manpower.

As shown in Fig. 5, it is more preferred that each of the storage tanks 10, 20, 30 is formed to have an undulating bottom, and optionally a grid 15 is provided to prevent the inlet conduit 93 from being attracted to the bottom of the storage tank, resulting in washing The inflow of liquid is not smooth. The grid 15 can be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of the same material as the reservoirs 10, 20, 30.

The technical content and technical features of the present invention have been disclosed as above, but those skilled in the art may still make various substitutions and modifications based on the disclosure of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but should include various alternatives and modifications, and is covered by the following claims.

Symbol Description
100‧‧‧Switchable cleaning aid
10‧‧‧First storage tank
15‧‧‧ grille
20‧‧‧Second storage tank
30‧‧‧ third storage tank
40‧‧‧Multiple switching valve
41‧‧‧ first entrance
42‧‧‧second entrance
43‧‧‧ third entrance
44‧‧‧Export
45‧‧‧Processor
50‧‧‧Trolley
91‧‧‧Into the hopper
92‧‧‧ pump
93‧‧‧Inlet catheter
94‧‧‧ filter
95‧‧‧Flow valve
96‧‧‧Filters
97‧‧‧Export conduit

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a cleaning tangential flow filtration system;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing that the flat bottom of the conventional reservoir is susceptible to adsorption of the inlet conduit of the TFF system;

Figure 3 is a schematic view of a switchable cleaning auxiliary device of a specific example of the present invention;

4 is a schematic view of a switchable cleaning assisting device according to another specific example of the present creation;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing that the undulating bottom of the reservoir in this creation is not susceptible to the bottom of the inlet conduit of the TFF system.

100‧‧‧Switchable cleaning aid

10‧‧‧First storage tank

20‧‧‧Second storage tank

30‧‧‧ third storage tank

40‧‧‧Multiple switching valve

41‧‧‧ first entrance

42‧‧‧second entrance

43‧‧‧ third entrance

44‧‧‧Export

45‧‧‧Processor

Claims (8)

A switchable cleaning assisting device comprising: a first storage tank, a second storage tank and a third storage tank, fluidly isolated from each other; a multi-way switching valve having a first inlet connected to the first storage tank a second inlet connected to the second storage tank, a third inlet connected to the third storage tank, and an outlet; wherein the multi-way switching valve is operable to selectively activate the first inlet, the second One or more of the inlet and the third inlet are in fluid communication with the outlet. The switchable cleaning assisting device of claim 1, wherein the multi-way switching valve comprises four valve positions, and wherein the first inlet and the second inlet are when the multi-way switching valve is in the first valve position And the third inlet are both closed, and wherein when the multi-way switching valve is switched to the second, third or fourth valve position, the first inlet, the second inlet and the third inlet are respectively opened. The switchable cleaning assisting device of claim 2, wherein the first storage tank, the second storage tank and the third storage tank are combined into a storage tank assembly. The switchable cleaning assisting device of claim 2, further comprising a vehicle disposed below the first storage tank, the second storage tank and the third storage tank for movement. The switchable cleaning assist device of claim 2, wherein the multi-way switching valve is coupled to a processor, and the processor is programmed to instruct the multi-way switching valve to perform valve position switching. The switchable cleaning aid of claim 2, wherein the first reservoir, the second reservoir, and the third reservoir are each formed to have an undulating bottom. The switchable cleaning assisting device of claim 6, wherein the bottom of the first storage tank, the second storage tank and the third storage tank are provided with a grille. A switchable cleaning aid as claimed in claim 2, which is suitable for cleaning a tangential flow filtration system.