Devices and methods for characterization and control of biopolymers and synthetic polymers during manufacturing
Devices and methods for characterization and control of biopolymers and synthetic polymers during manufacturing. The device may include a body defining a fluid flow path. The body may be configured to receive a process flow liquid such that the process flow liquid may flow through an interior portion of the body. The body may also include a plurality of detectors inserted into said body, each of the plurality of detectors configured to monitor one or more process characteristics.
1 . A device comprising:
a flow tube comprising an inner bore and an outer surface, the flow tube comprising a first end configured to connect to a first tube and a second end configured to connect to a second tube;
an optical component tube comprising two or more detectors configured to monitor one or more process characteristics of a polymer containing liquid along a polymer production flow path containing the polymer containing liquid, the optical component tube having a body configured to receive the flow tube,
wherein the optical component tube, with the flow tube inside, is configured to be inserted in the polymer production path without making contact with the polymer containing liquid,
wherein an inner diameter of at least one of the first end or the second end of the flow tube substantially equals to an inner diameter of the first tube or the second tube,
wherein the two or more detectors are spaced apart along the polymer production flow path and configured for measurements of the one or more process characteristics of the polymer containing liquid along the polymer production flow path.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow tube is configured to be removably inserted into the polymer production flow path of the polymer containing liquid for monitoring the polymer containing liquid without substantially disturbing flow of the polymer containing liquid, wherein the flow tube is configured to be releasably attached to the body of the optical component tube.
3 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein the flow tube contains one or more windows permitting light to pass from the inner bore to the outer surface of the flow tube.
4 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein the flow tube comprises a transparent material and is configured to permit light to pass to and from the inner bore to the outer surface.
5 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein the flow tube comprises a disposable material and/or a sterilizable material.
6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical component tube comprises one or more light sources.
7 . The device according to claim 6 , further comprising one or more lens assemblies configured to manipulate a beam produced by the one or more light sources.
8 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer containing liquid is a biopolymer solution, and the two or more detectors are configured to monitor one or more of Mw, R g , concentration of biopolymer, unfolding of the biopolymer in time, change of molecular weight of the biopolymer in time, conformational change of the biopolymer, total solution viscosity, biopolymer intrinsic viscosity, degradation or aggregation,
rate of aggregation or degradation of the biopolymer, mechanism causing the molecular weight of the biopolymer to change, number concentration of subvisible particles, early detection of changes in molecular weight, presence and of anisotropic or large particles, number concentration of anisotropic or large particles, and a fraction of biopolymer mass in aggregated form.
9 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more process characteristics is selected from the group consisting of concentration of biopolymer, unfolding of the biopolymer in time, change of molecular weight of the biopolymer in time, degradation or aggregation, rate of aggregation or degradation of the biopolymer, mechanism causing the molecular weight of the biopolymer to change, number concentration of subvisible particles, early detection of changes in molecular weight, total solution viscosity, biopolymer intrinsic viscosity, biopolymer radius of gyration, and a fraction of biopolymer mass in aggregated form.
10 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the two or more detectors are selected from the group consisting of a single angle or a multiple angle light scattering (MALS) detector, a depolarized scattering detector, a particle counter, a dynamic light scattering (DLS) detector, an ultraviolet (UV) absorption detector, a fluorescence detector, and a viscosity detector.
11 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a computing and analysis device, communicatively coupled with the two or more detectors, the computing and analysis device configured to determine one or more process characteristics of the polymer containing liquid.
12 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more scattering light detection fibers.
13 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more band pass filters.
14 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the two or more detectors are configured to share the polymer production flow path without any intervening fluid fittings or connector pieces, and wherein there is no sample chamber.
15 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more beam dumps or beam stops.
16 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical component tube comprises one or more releasable connections that allow one or more modular detector rings to interlock or attach sufficiently.
17 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the two or more detectors comprises two or more modular detector rings that are configured for measurements of the one or more process characteristics of the polymer containing liquid along the polymer production flow path.
18 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow tube is configured to be a first portion of the polymer production flow path to receive the polymer containing liquid in the inner bore.
19 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first tube is configured to be a second portion of the polymer production flow path to introduce the polymer containing liquid into the flow tube, wherein the second tube is configured to be a third portion of the polymer production flow path to provide an exit path of the polymer containing liquid.
20 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the flow tube, the first tube, and the second tube are substantially parallel to the polymer production flow path and receive the full polymer production flow.