Patent ID: 11938417
Assignee: REPLIGEN CORPORATION
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  G  A | IPC A  B  G

Claim 0:
1. A method of removing entrapped gas, pressure, or both gas and pressure from a pre-packed chromatography column having a chamber, and a column tube having a column tube inlet and a column tube outlet, the method comprising:
(a) obtaining a tubing and valve set comprising:
tubing, a tubing inlet, a tubing outlet, a first valve disposed between the tubing inlet and the column tube inlet, and a second valve disposed between the column tube outlet and the tubing outlet, the tubing and valve set configured to define at least two different fluid paths each fluidly connected to the column tube inlet and the column tube outlet; and
first and second tubing branches connected between the tubing inlet and the tubing outlet, a third valve disposed in the first tubing branch, and a fourth valve disposed in the second tubing branch,

(b) either:
(i) attaching the tubing inlet of the tubing and valve set to the column tube inlet and attaching the tubing outlet to the column tube outlet and then sterilizing the connected pre-packed chromatography column and the tubing and valve set, or
(ii) sterilizing the pre-packed chromatography column and the tubing and valve set and then attaching the tubing inlet of the tubing and valve set to the column tube inlet and attaching the tubing outlet to the column tube outlet in a manner that maintains sterility of both the column and the tubing and valve set;

(c) attaching the sterile tubing and valve set to a sterile or aseptic fluid source and to a fluid outlet;
wherein when, a first flow path of the at least two different fluid paths enables fluid to flow from the tubing inlet, to the column tube outlet, to the column tube inlet, and to the tubing outlet; and
wherein when the first and second valves are in an open configuration and the third and fourth valves are in a closed configuration, a second flow path of the at least two different fluid paths enables fluid to flow from the tubing inlet, to the column tube inlet, to the column tube outlet, and to the tubing outlet;

(d) configuring the first and second valves in a closed configuration and configuring the third and fourth valves in an open configuration; and
(e) pumping sterile or aseptic liquid from the sterile or aseptic fluid source along the tubing and valve set into the column tube inlet and out from the column tube outlet along the first flow path, thereby removing any entrapped gas, pressure, or both gas and pressure from the chamber and the tubing along the first flow path without breaching the sterility of the pre-packed chromatography column and the tubing and valve set.