Design of a Mobile, Single-Use Chromatography Column
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Date
2015-12-07
Authors
Friesen, Lauren
Katona, Brad
Desilets, Lucien
Leslie, Anthony
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Abstract
The team was presented with a design problem by Emergent BioSolutions requiring the design of a single-use chromatography column to be used for processing blood plasma. The column that is currently used is very heavy and bulky and made with entirely reusable components meaning that it must be fully sanitized between each use. Emergent BioSolutions wishes to be able to perform chromatography in a mobile environment but these factors make the current column unsuitable for this application. Therefore, the new column must, most importantly, feature a single-use flow path for the plasma, which will reduce the need to completely sanitize the column. It must also be lightweight, cost effective, and composed of primarily commercially available compliant materials. Furthermore, the design must be simple to assemble and adhere to the same chromatography procedure currently performed by the client. In order to solve this design problem, the team worked closely with the client to define the design problem and project requirements. The team then generated a series of conceptual designs and was able to determine the most suitable design using developed scoring criteria. The flow path consists of a disposable liner that is supported by a reusable, rigid tank. Thus, although the final design has a final cost of $2920.37, the cost per use following its initial construction is $1432.57 due to the liner and therefore is extremely cost effective relative to Emergent BioSolutions’ current design.