Disposable heat exchanger assembly for sterile and aseptic biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing applications

1. A disposable heat exchanger assembly, comprising:

a modular stainless steel heating/cooling plate assembly that includes separated plates manifolded together with stainless steel tubing and constructed and arranged in a serpentine flow path for circulation of a heating/cooling fluid; and

a customizable, sterile disposable bag assembly that includes a plurality of bags that are manifolded together with disposable tubing and with each bag having a serpentine flow path therethrough;

the bags being interspersed between the stainless steel heating/cooling plates, wherein a media to be heated/cooled is in said flow path of said bag assembly and is fully contained within said bag assembly such that it does not contact said heating/cooling plate assembly.

2. The disposable heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 wherein the serpentine pattern of the modular stainless steel heating/cooling plate assembly is identical in pattern to the sterile, disposable bags but encased fluids flow in opposite directions to achieve efficient counter-current flow.

3. The disposable heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 wherein the plate assembly is comprised of a series of plate members each including a substantially flat plate disposed in parallel with a dimpled plate.

4. The disposable heat exchanger assembly of claim 3 wherein the plate member also includes seams disposed between the plates for forming the serpentine flow path.

5. The disposable heat exchanger assembly of claim 4 including multiple and parallel disposed seams for directing the serpentine flow.

6. The disposable heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 wherein each bag is also provided with a seal weld to form the serpentine flow path.

7. The disposable heat exchanger assembly of claim 6 wherein the seal weld forms a linear weld line.

8. The disposable heat exchanger assembly of claim 7 wherein there are provided multiple weld lines disposed substantially in parallel to form the serpentine flow path.

9. The disposable heat exchanger assembly of claim 6 wherein the plate assembly is comprised of a series of plate members and each bag is disposed between adjacent plate members, and further including tubing that connects from one bag to an adjacent bag, and tubing that connects from one plate member to an adjacent plate member, so that flow is from one bag to an adjacent bag and from one plate member to an adjacent plate member.

10. A heat exchanger assembly for controlling the temperature of fluid flowing through the assembly, said heat exchanger assembly comprising:

a plurality of plate members each comprised of spaced apart plates that define a flow path therebetween;

a plurality of bags through which a fluid to be processed passes;

said bags being disposed between adjacent plate members;

said plate members interconnected so that heating/cooling fluid flowing therethrough couples from plate member to plate member;

said bags interconnected so that media to be heated/cooled flowing therethrough couples from bag to bag, wherein said media in said flow path of said bag assembly is fully contained within said bag assembly such that it does not contact said plate members;

said plate members interconnected so that the flow therethrough is in a serpentine flow path;

said bags interconnected so that the flow therethrough is in a serpentine flow path;

the direction of flow in the respective plate members and bags being reversed from each other.

11. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 10 wherein flow through the plate members is from the top to the bottom thereof.

12. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 11 wherein the flow through the bags is from bottom to top thereof.

13. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 10 wherein each plate member each includes a substantially flat plate disposed in parallel with a dimpled plate.

14. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 13 wherein the plate member also includes seams disposed between the plates for forming the serpentine flow path.

15. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 14 including multiple and parallel disposed seams for directing the serpentine flow.

16. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 15 wherein each bag is also provided with a seal weld to form the serpentine flow path.

17. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 16 wherein the seal weld forms a linear weld line.

18. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 17 wherein there are provided multiple weld lines disposed substantially in parallel to form the serpentine flow path.

19. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 10 further including tubing that connects from one bag to an adjacent bag, and tubing that connects from one plate member to an adjacent plate member, so that flow is from one bag to an adjacent bag and from one plate member to an adjacent plate member.