Claims
- 1. A method for treating a biological organism in a fluid medium, to at least temporarily alter a biological membrane of the biological organism, comprising heating, while being controlled to maintain steady state process conditions, a continuous stream of the medium containing the organism by a temperature rise of at least about 2° C. at a rate which exceeds a relaxation rate of a cellular membrane of that organism, under such time and temperature conditions which do not thermally denature a substantial portion of biological proteins selected from the group consisting of one or more of proteins forming part of the biological organism and contained in the medium.
- 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature rise is at least 5° C.
- 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature rise is at least 10° C.
- 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature rise is at least 20° C.
- 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature rise rate is at least 1100° C. per second.
- 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature rise rate is at least 1500° C. per second.
- 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature rise rate is at least 2000° C. per second.
- 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature rise rate is at least 5000° C. per second.
- 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum temperature is below about 75° C.
- 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum temperature is below about 65° C.
- 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum temperature is below about 55° C.
- 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum temperature is below about 45° C.
- 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum time temperature product of the heating process is less than about 200° C.·seconds over a period of five seconds.
- 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum time temperature product of the heating process is less than about 200° C.·seconds over a period of four seconds.
- 15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum value of the product (time)·(temperature in excess of 55° C.) of the heating process is less than about 50° C.·seconds over a period of five seconds.
- 16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum value of the product (time)·(temperature in excess of 55° C.) of the heating process is less than about 5° C.·seconds over a period of one second.
- 17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heating is effected through condensation of steam.
- 18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medium is degassed prior to heating.
- 19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medium is degassed to no more than 100 mm Hg partial pressure of non-condensing gasses prior to heating.
- 20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medium is degassed to no more than 50 mm Hg partial pressure of non-condensing gasses prior to heating.
- 21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medium is degassed to no more than 17 mm Hg partial pressure of non-condensing gasses prior to heating.
- 22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the biological organism to selected from the group consisting of bacteria, intercellular parasites and single-celled organisms.
- 23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the biological organism is a bacterial.
- 24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medium is milk.
- 25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the biological organism is a genetically engineered cell.
- 26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medium is atomized into droplets prior to heating.
- 27. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medium is atomized into droplets having an average diameter of less than about 0.3 mm.
- 28. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medium is atomized into droplets having an average diameter of less than 0.3 mm with no more than 1% having a diameter larger than about 0.45 mm.
- 29. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heating is effected by condensation of dry steam at subatmospheric pressure on droplets of medium.
- 30. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heating is effected during continuous withdrawal of gasses in the reactor.
Parent Case Info
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/812,109 filed on Mar. 5, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,288 for which claims benefit of priority for U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/017,121, filed Mar. 6, 1996.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2052967 |
Jan 1996 |
RU |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/017121 |
Mar 1996 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/812109 |
Mar 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/411088 |
|
US |