METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR MIXING A LIQUID

Abstract

A method for mixing a liquid in a closed container having at least one axis of symmetry, wherein the container is arranged such that the at least one axis of symmetry lies substantially in a horizontal plane. The container is moved in an oscillating manner along a movement path that appears linear when the horizontal plane is viewed from above. In order to generate at least one vortex in the liquid, the container is oriented such that the movement path and the at least one axis of symmetry are different when the horizontal plane is viewed from above.

Claims

1. A method for mixing a liquid which is present in a closed container having at least one axis of symmetry, wherein the container is arranged such that the at least one axis of symmetry lies substantially in a horizontal plane, and the container is moved in an oscillating manner along a movement path that appears linear when the horizontal plane is viewed from above, wherein in order to generate at least one vortex in the liquid the container is oriented such that the movement path and the at least one axis of symmetry are different when the horizontal plane is viewed from above.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the container is oriented such that the at least one axis of symmetry and the movement path form an angle (α) of between 5° and 85°, preferably between 10° and 60° and particularly preferably between 20° and 40°, when the horizontal plane is viewed from above.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed from above the container has a basic shape of a rectangle, an isosceles trapezium or a combination of a rectangle and an isosceles trapezium.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the container is used only partly filled, with the result that a gas cushion—in particular an air cushion—is present in the container in addition to the liquid.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed from above the container is moved exclusively linearly in an oscillating manner.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the container is moved exclusively in the horizontal plane.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a flexible bag—preferably made of plastic—is used as container.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is present in several containers each having the at least one axis of symmetry, wherein the containers are arranged such that the at least one axis of symmetry in each case lies in a horizontal plane, the containers are moved in an oscillating manner along a movement path that appears linear when the horizontal plane is viewed from above, in order to generate the at least one vortex in the liquid, the containers are oriented such that the movement path and the at least one axis of symmetry are each different when the horizontal plane is viewed from above.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a medicinal product or a precursor and/or intermediate occurring in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology production process is used as liquid.

10. An arrangement consisting of a device for mixing a liquid present in a closed container and of the container with the liquid, in particular for carrying out a method according to claim 1, wherein the container has at least one axis of symmetry and is arranged on the device such that the at least one axis of symmetry lies substantially in a horizontal plane, and wherein the device is designed to move the container in an oscillating manner along a movement path that appears linear when the horizontal plane is viewed from above, wherein the container is oriented such that the movement path and the at least one axis of symmetry are different when the horizontal plane is viewed from above.

11. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the container is placed on at least one shelf.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein a transport shell is located between the container and the shelf.

13. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein several shelves arranged one above the other are present and several containers at least partly filled with a liquid to be mixed are placed on the shelves.

Description

[0042] FIG. 1a an arrangement according to the invention shown schematically from above,

[0043] FIG. 1b the arrangement from FIG. 1a shown schematically in section,

[0044] FIG. 2a an arrangement according to the invention with stacked containers shown schematically from the side,

[0045] FIG. 2b a view from above of the arrangement according to FIG. 2a,

[0046] FIG. 3 a schematic view from above of an arrangement according to the invention as well as

[0047] FIG. 4 an arrangement according to the invention for mixing liquids present in several containers.

[0048] FIGS. 1a and 1b represent an arrangement according to the invention consisting of a device 10 for mixing a liquid 1 present in the container 2 schematically from above (FIG. 1a) and schematically in section (FIG. 1b).

[0049] The view from above is directed onto a horizontal plane 3 (substantially the drawing plane) which also forms the shelf for the container 2.

[0050] The container 2 (in this embodiment example a single-use bag) has a rectangle combined with a flat isosceles trapezium as basic shape for the interior containing the liquid 1. In addition, the container 2 has some functional elements on the outside such as e.g. hose connectors and a holding ring.

[0051] However, the container 2 holding the liquid 1 is substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to an axis of symmetry A in the horizontal plane 3.

[0052] The device 10 is designed for moving the container 2, as a result of which the mixing of the liquid 1 takes place. The movement path B is indicated by an arrow. An exclusively linearly oscillating movement takes place within the horizontal plane 3. Alternatively, however, the indicated movement could also be realized for example by means of a rocker or similar.

[0053] Devices known in principle in the state of the art can be used to generate the exclusively linear movement. Racks and a drive (for example an electric drive) with an eccentric can be used. An example is indicated in FIG. 4.

[0054] The drive and/or its control system can be designed such that the repeating movement along the movement path B is repeated 5 to 120 times per minute. This speed can be adjustable.

[0055] As can easily be seen from the view from above, the axis of symmetry A and the movement path B form an acute angle of between 20° and 40° (30° in this embodiment example). Through the action of the margins holding the liquid 1 and their angled arrangement relative to the movement path B, a deflection effect is achieved which results in the formation of a vortex within the liquid 1. Both the deflection action of the container margins and the vortex are indicated graphically in FIG. 1a.

[0056] As can be seen from the sectional representation in FIG. 1b, the container 2 is used only partly filled, with the result that a gas cushion 6—air in this embodiment example—is present inside the container in addition to the liquid 1. This makes it possible to cause a wave formation (represented schematically in FIG. 1b) in the container 2. The mixing action of the vortex is further increased by the waves tumbling according to the intensity of the movement generated by the device. The device 10 has not been represented in FIG. 1b for the sake of clarity.

[0057] An embodiment example of an arrangement according to the invention, wherein the containers 2 are arranged inside transport shells 5, is represented in FIGS. 2a and 2b. The transport shells 5 are stackable. By stacking several containers 2, at least partly filled with liquid 1, in transport shells, liquid 1 in several containers 2 can be mixed simultaneously with one device 10 (for example as from FIG. 1a).

[0058] The arrangement of the containers 2 on the respective shelf (which forms the horizontal plane 3) according to the embodiment example according to FIGS. 2a and 2b is analogous to that from FIG. 1a. This means that the axis of symmetry A of the containers forms an angle with the movement path B (indicated by an arrow).

[0059] FIG. 3 shows purely schematically an embodiment example, wherein the container 2 has two different axes of symmetry A in the horizontal plane 3. When the horizontal plane 3 is viewed from above, the movement path B is arranged at an angle relative to both axes of symmetry A. In particular, the angle between the movement path B and the axis of symmetry A in FIG. 3 along which the container has the longer extent is between 20° and 40°.

[0060] FIG. 4 represents an embodiment with several containers 2 arranged one above the other. The containers are arranged in transport shells 7 (the containers 2 themselves are thereby not clearly visible). A rack system with a drive can be seen (underneath the transport shells 7) by means of which the orientation according to the invention between movement path B and axis of symmetry A relative to each other is achieved.

[0061] The embodiment according to FIG. 4 is designed as a mobile trolley with wheels.

[0062] Supports are present which can be used to keep the trolley still during the mixing of the liquid.