Method for macerating biological material and apparatus for carrying out said method

Abstract

In order to ensure consistently good maceration of biological material in an electroporation reactor, it is proposed to monitor the conductivity of the mixture therein and to detect any arcing which occurs therein. The results of such monitoring are used to modify the operating voltage of the electroporation reactor and/or the composition of the mixture located in the reactor channel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in greater detail below by means of exemplary embodiments with reference to drawings in which:

FIG. 1: shows a schematic diagram of a method according to the invention for macerating plant material which is dried or contains little water;

FIG. 2: shows a schematic diagram of an installation for introducing liquid into dried biological material and for electroporating of the biological material which has again been enriched with liquid;

FIG. 3: shows a similar diagram to FIG. 1, but illustrating a modified method;

FIG. 4: shows a similar diagram to FIG. 2, but in which the electroporation reactor is oriented vertically and a modified high voltage switching means is used;

FIG. 5: shows a similar view to FIG. 4, but showing a further modified high voltage switching means;

FIG. 6: shows a block diagram of a main routine in accordance with which a computer adjusts the conductivity of the mixture of carrier medium and biological material conveyed through the electroporation reactor; and,

FIG. 7: shows a subroutine of the main routine shown in FIG. 6.

Claims

1. A method for macerating biological material, in which the biological material is dispersed in a carrier medium and the mixture of carrier material and biological material is treated by electroporation,the method comprising the steps wherein the occurrence of electrical breakdowns is monitored during the electroporation treatment and at least one parameter of the electroporation treatment is controlled as a function of the result of the monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the occurrence of breakdowns is monitored by means of light arising from the breakdowns.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the occurrence of breakdowns is monitored by means of pressure pulses arising from the breakdowns and/or to sound arising from the breakdowns.

4. The method according of claim 1, wherein the breakdowns are monitored by means of the current pulses flowing through the mixture during electroporation and/or by means of the voltage pulses decaying at the mixture.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the amplitude and/or the length of the current pulses flowing during electroporation and/or of the voltage pulses decaying at the mixture are monitored.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein conductivity of the mixture is monitored by means of the current flowing through the mixture during electroporation and/or the voltage decaying at the mixture.

7. A method for macerating biological material, in which the biological material is dispersed in a carrier medium and the mixture of carrier material and biological material is treated by electroporation, the method comprising the steps wherein the conductivity of the mixture of carrier medium and biological material is monitored and at least one parameter of the electroporation treatment is controlled as a function of the result of conductivity monitoring.

8. A method for macerating biological material, in which the biological material is subjected to a pretreatment, the pretreated biological material is dispersed in a carrier medium and the mixture of carrier material and biological material is treated by electroporation, the method comprising the steps wherein the conductivity of the mixture of carrier material and biological material is monitored and at least one operating parameter of the pretreatment is controlled as a function of the result of conductivity monitoring.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the conductivity of the mixture is measured before electroporation.

10. The method according of claim 8, wherein the controlled parameter is selected from the following group consisting of: the electrical field strength which is maintained during electroporation, the length of the field pulses which are used during electroporation, the spacing of the field pulses which are used during electroporation, and the total number of field pulses which are used during electroporation.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the controlled parameter is selected from the following group: the temperature of the mixture while electroporation is carried out, the pressure to which the mixture is exposed during electroporation, and the duration of the electroporation treatment.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one controlled parameter is the ratio between biological material and carrier material in the mixture.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least controlled parameters is the intensity of a pretreatment, in particular pre-comminution of the biological material.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the biological material is a biological material including little or no liquid to which a penetration liquid is supplied in a pretreatment, which imparts weak conductivity to the cells of the biological material, wherein the at least one controlled parameter is a pretreatment parameter and is selected from the following group consisting of: treatment time, the nature and quantity of added penetration liquid, the temperature at which the pretreatment is carried out, the pressure at which the pretreatment is carried out, and the nature and the intensity with which the mixture of biological material and penetration liquid is moved during pretreatment.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein pretreatment comprises mechanical pretreatment, chemical pretreatment with a pretreatment agent or physical pretreatment, and further wherein the at least one controlled parameter is selected from the following group consisting of: the nature and concentration of the pretreatment agent, the temperature of the pretreatment, the intensity of the pretreatment, and the movement of the biological material during pretreatment.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein a material stream is recirculated from one method step to a preceding method step, such that the at least one controlled parameter is the quantity of the recirculated material stream.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the recirculated material stream is subjected to an intermediate treatment, and the at least one controlled parameter is the intensity of the intermediate treatment, the duration of the intermediate treatment, or the nature or concentration of auxiliary substances used during the intermediate treatment.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein when controlling conductivity by such a change in the at least one controlled parameter which reduces the intensity of the electroporation treatment, the conveying speed of the mixture is reduced and/or the spacing between successive field pulses is shortened and/or the height and/or width of the field pulses is reduced.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein when controlling conductivity by such a change in the at least one controlled parameter which increases the intensity of the electroporation treatment, the conveying speed of the mixture is increased and/or the spacing between successive field pulses is lengthened and/or the height and/or width of the field pulses is reduced.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the number of breakdowns which occur within a predetermined time interval is counted and an emergency measure is taken when an identified number of breakdowns is greater than a maximum number of breakdowns.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the emergency measure is selected from the following group consisting of: switching off the electrical field for a predetermined period of time or permanently, rapid ejection of the volume of mixture which is just being subjected to electroporation from the electroporation reactor, and error stop of the installation.

22. The method according to claim 8, wherein an additive which influences conductivity is additionally added to the mixture, such that the controlled parameter is the quantity of the added additive.

23. An apparatus for carrying out the method of claim 1, the apparatus including an electroporation reactor which comprises two electrodes which at least in part define a treatment channel, which electrodes are connected to a high voltage pulse generator, characterised in that a breakdown detection device is provided which comprises one or more devices/means from the following group: a current sensor with an amplitude discriminator or pulse width discriminator acted upon by said current sensor; a light detection device which is in optical connection with the treatment chamber; a pressure sensing device which is in pressure connection with the treatment chamber; an acoustic sensor which is in acoustic connection with the treatment channel.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a conductivity measurement device which cooperates with the mixture in the interior of the treatment channel or with the mixture located upstream of treatment channel.