Sens-o-Spheres | Location-independent acquisition of process measurement signals in novel bioreactor systems
An efficient and resource saving production of target products such as pharmaceutical agents as well as enzymes based on renewable resources requires a comprehensive knowledge of the biotechnological process. Typical measuring devices to monitor such processes, which are mounted via a standard port on the reactor, represent a measured value only in one spot of the reactor. Hence, no information concerning inhomogeneities can be derived from such data. Innovative bioreactor systems for novel biotechnological production processes render the installation of typical sensor probe systems due to their design (e.g. flat panel bioreactors) or because of spatial limitations (e.g. parallel micro reactors for drug production) impossible. Furthermore, depending on the construction inhomogeneities can be inherent in the bioreactor system (e.g. tube reactors of several kilometers length for algae production) and make a single spot data acquisition pointless. In addition to that, typical sensor probes can affect the mixing and transport processes in bioreactors which can lead to undesired effects.
The aim of this project is the development of a location-independent, fully autarkical, minimally disrupting micro measuring device, the so called Sens-o-Spheres. For that purpose, a typical measurement device for e.g. temperature, pH value, or dissolved oxygen is converted to a small sphere with 5 mm in diameter at the maximum. The sphere consists of a measured parameter specific transducer (1), an energy supply (2), a signal transmitter (3), and an encapsulation for the use in biotechnological processes (4).
Sens-o-Spheres design concept: (1) transducer; (2) energy supply, (3) signal transmission and (4) encapsulation for the use in biotechnological processes.
This spherical measurement device moves through the process volume independently and transmits the recorded measuring values wirelessly to a receiver. The receiver, consequently, feeds the recorded signal in the process control system. Due to the sensor’s flow following property mixing and transport processes in a bioreactor are unaffected. Furthermore, inhomogeneities can be investigated due to the known position of the sensor at every time point during the process.
Project funding:
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
grant number: 031A528
Project head:
Dr.-Ing. Felix Lenk
Project staff:
Dipl.-Ing. Tim Lauterbach
Phone: +49 351 463 32781
Fax: +49 351 463 37761
tim.lauterbach(at)tu-dresden.de
Project term:
01.08.2014 - 30.04.2015
Contact:
Lauterbach, Lenk, Bley