Patent ID: 8506797

Claim:
A downstream processing device for pooling, harvesting and purifying a target protein comprising: a. a cylinder with inner volume and having a top opening, a bottom opening and suitable for holding a nutrient media, a biological culture and a chromatography media; b. a means for retaining the chromatography media in the cylinder comprising a top filter covering the top opening and a bottom filter covering the bottom opening of the cylinder; c. a removable top cap to hold the top filter in place comprising at least one top liquid port and a top flow control valve; d. a top sampling port comprising a top sampling port valve and a top sampling port filter capable of removing the biological culture wherein said top sampling port is connected to one of the top liquid ports of (c); e. a removable bottom cap to hold the bottom filter disk in place comprising a bottom liquid port, a bottom flow control valve, and a plenum having a plurality of liquid ports with means for closing and opening the plurality of liquid ports; f. a bottom sampling port comprising a bottom sampling port valve and a bottom sampling port filter to capable of removing the biological culture wherein said bottom sampling port is connected to the bottom liquid port of (e); g. a mixing means for keeping the chromatography media continuously and uniformly suspended throughout the cylinder; h. a means for continuously measuring the turbidity of the contents of the cylinder in a plurality of locations in the cylinder; i. a means for continuously measuring the ratio of the concentration of a target protein produced by the biological culture in the nutrient media exiting the top liquid port as compared to the concentration of the target protein entering the bottom liquid port; j. a means for supporting the cylinder vertically; k. a means for heating or cooling the contents of the cylinder; l. a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the nutrient media in the cylinder; m. an electronic means for automatically controlling the opening and closing of the bottom flow control valve in response to the ratio of the concentration of the target protein in the top and bottom liquid ports, the means for heating and cooling the contents of the cylinder in response to the temperature of the nutrient media and controlling the intensity of the mixing means in response to the differences in the measurement of turbidity in the cylinder.