Bioprocess fluid mixing system
A bioprocess fluid mixing system ( 3; 3′; 3″; 103; 103′ ), said fluid mixing system ( 3; 3′; 3″; 103; 103′ ) comprising:—at least two fluid inlets ( 5 a, 5 b, 5 c, 5 d, 5 e ), configured for providing a first fluid into the fluid mixing system through a first fluid inlet ( 5 a ) and for providing a second fluid into the fluid mixing system through a second fluid inlet ( 5 b );—at least one valve arrangement ( 13 a, 13 b, 13 c, 13 a ′), where a first valve arrangement ( 13 a; 13 a ′) is in fluid communication with at least both the first fluid inlet ( 5 a ) and the second fluid inlet ( 5 b );—at least two pumps ( 11 a, 11 b, 11 c, 11 d, 11 e ), where a first pump ( 11 a ) is in selective fluid communication with at least both the first and the second fluid inlets ( 5 a, 5 b ) via the first valve arrangement ( 13 a; 13 a ′) and a second pump ( 11 b ) is in fluid communication with at least one of the first and second fluid inlet ( 5 b ); and—a common fluid outlet ( 14 ) which is in fluid communication with both an outlet ( 15 a ) of the first pump ( 11 a ) and an outlet ( 15 b ) of the second pump ( 11 b ), wherein pump rates of the at least two pumps ( 11 a, 11 b ) and valve positions in the at least one valve arrangement ( 13 a; 13 a′; 13 b, 13 c ) are configured to be controllable by a control system ( 21 ) such that mixing of at least a first fluid from the first fluid inlet ( 5 a ) and a second fluid from the second fluid inlet ( 5 b ) can be performed to a requested mixing of the at least two fluids and to a requested combined fluid flow rate at the common fluid outlet ( 14 ).
1. A bioprocess fluid mixing system, said fluid mixing system comprising:
at least two fluid inlets, configured for providing a first fluid into the fluid mixing system through a first fluid inlet and for providing a second fluid into the fluid mixing system through a second fluid inlet;
at least one valve arrangement, where a first valve arrangement is in fluid communication with at least both the first fluid inlet and the second fluid inlet;
at least two pumps, where a first pump is in selective fluid communication with at least both the first and the second fluid inlets via the first valve arrangement and a second pump is in fluid communication with at least one of the first and second fluid inlet; and
a common fluid outlet which is in fluid communication with at least an outlet of the first pump and an outlet of the second pump,
wherein pump rates of the at least two pumps and valve positions in the at least one valve arrangement are configured to be controllable by a control system such that mixing of at least a first fluid from the first fluid inlet and a second fluid from the second fluid inlet can be performed to a requested mixing of the at least two fluids and to a requested combined fluid flow rate at the common fluid outlet, and
wherein said fluid mixing system is further operable to mix fluids both upstream and downstream of the first and second pumps.
2. Bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 1 , wherein pump rates of the at least two pumps and valve positions in the at least one valve arrangement are configured to be controllable by a control system such that mixing of at least a first fluid from the first fluid inlet and a second fluid from the second fluid inlet to the requested mixing of the at least two fluids and to a requested combined fluid flow rate at the common fluid outlet can be performed upstream of at least the first pump, and downstream of the at least two pumps at the same time, or selectively at different times.
3. Bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 1 , wherein the requested mixing of the at least two fluids is a requested volumetric mixing ratio of the at least two fluids and/or a mixing with one or more requested resultant fluid properties and/or a mixing with one or more requested changing resultant fluid properties.
4. Bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 3 , wherein a requested resultant fluid property or changing resultant fluid property is a resultant pH.
5. Bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 1 , wherein the second pump is connected to both the first and second fluid inlets via a second valve arrangement provided in the fluid mixing system.
6. Bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid mixing system is configured for gradient formation, buffer preparation or inline conditioning in a bioprocessing system.
7. Bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve arrangement comprises at least two inlets and one outlet.
8. Bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 1 , further comprising a mixer connected to the common fluid outlet.
9. Bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor arrangement which is connectable to the control system, said sensor arrangement being configured for measuring one or more fluid properties of the mixed at least first and second fluids and/or fluid flow rates in one or more positions in the system, whereby a control system can provide a feedback control to the at least tow pumps and/or to the at least one valve arrangement based on output from the sensor arrangement.
10. A method for mixing fluids in a bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 1 , wherein said method comprises controlling pump rates of the at least two pumps and valve positions in the at least one valve arrangement such that mixing of the at least a first fluid from the first fluid inlet and a second fluid from the second fluid inlet to a requested mixing of the at least two fluids and to a requested combined fluid flow rate at the common fluid outlet can be performed both upstream of the first pump and downstream of the pumps.
11. Method according to claim 10 , wherein said method comprises controlling pump rates of the at least two pumps and valve positions in the at least one valve arrangement such that mixing of at least a first fluid from the first fluid inlet and a second fluid from the second fluid inlet to a requested mixing of the at least two fluids and to a requested combined fluid flow rate at the common fluid outlet can be performed both upstream of the first pump and downstream of the pumps.
12. Method according to claim 10 , wherein the method is a method for gradient formation, buffer preparation or inline conditioning in a bioprocess system.
13. Method according to claim 10 , further comprising the steps of sensing at least one property in the fluid at one or more different positions in the fluid mixing system and controlling one or more of the at least two pumps and the at least one valve arrangement in dependence of the sensed at least one property in order to achieve a requested mixing between at least the first and second fluids and/or a requested combined fluid flow rate.
14. A bioprocess system comprising a bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 1 .
15. Bioprocess system according to claim 14 , wherein said bioprocess system is a chromatography system.
16. Bioprocess system according to claim 14 , further comprising a control system connectable to the at least two pumps and the at least one valve arrangement in the fluid mixing system, wherein said control system further is connected to one or more sensor arrangements in the fluid mixing system, wherein the control system is configured for providing feedback control of a volumetric mixing ratio between at least the first and second fluids and/or of a fluid flow rate in the fluid mixing system in dependence of output from the sensor arrangements.
17. A control system connectable to a bioprocess fluid mixing system according to claim 1 , wherein said control system is configured to control the at lest two pumps and the at least one valve arrangement.
18. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed in a processor in a control system connected to a fluid mixing system according to claim 1 , cause the control system to perform the mixing.