Patents by Inventor Kai Hoeffner

Kai Hoeffner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240174963
    Abstract: A bioreactor includes one or more sensors, a plurality of spargers, a plurality of vertical circulation loops, and a controller coupled to the plurality of spargers and the one or more sensors. The controller is configured to determine that a reading associated with the bioreactor is not at a setpoint, adjust a sparging rate associated with at least one of the plurality of spargers responsive to gas sparging or a liquid additive being introduced to the bioreactor, wherein the sparging rate associated with the at least one of the plurality of spargers is adjusted from a first sparging rate to a second sparging rate, and in response to the reading associated with the bioreactor being consistent and at the setpoint, modify the sparging rate associated with the at least one of the plurality of spargers from the second sparging rate to the first sparging rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Zheng Huang, Kai Hoeffner, Orianna Elysse Kane
  • Patent number: 11884909
    Abstract: A bioreactor includes a plurality of spargers and a plurality of vertical circulation loops. A first vertical circulation loop of the plurality of vertical circulation loops includes a first sparging region and a first return region. The first vertical circulation loop is in liquid communication with one or more other loops of the plurality of vertical circulation loops. The first vertical circulation loop is characterized by an individual loop mass transfer coefficient. A controller is coupled to the plurality of spargers and configured to control the plurality of spargers together such that a cumulative mass transfer coefficient of the plurality of vertical circulation loops is within a threshold of the individual loop mass transfer coefficient associated with the first vertical circulation loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Ark Biotech Inc.
    Inventors: Zheng Huang, Kai Hoeffner, Orianna Elysse Kane
  • Publication number: 20230383227
    Abstract: A sample is introduced from a bioreactor to a chamber included in a manifold. The chamber includes at least a first probe. The at least the first probe is coupled to a controller. One or more measurements are performed on the sample while the sample is located in the chamber for a measurement period. The sample is returned from the chamber to the bioreactor after the one or more measurements of the sample have been performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Kai Hoeffner, Zheng Huang, Savitha Panikar, Orianna Elysse Kane, Zachary Allen Corriveau, William Fabrizio
  • Publication number: 20230384253
    Abstract: Sensors are configured to capture measurement data representing dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements of an environment and capacitance measurements of a medium of the environment. A memory includes computer-executable instructions. One or more processors are communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to carry out operations comprising: generating, using first measurement data captured by the one or more sensors, a model based on a relationship between the first set of DO measurements and the first set of capacitance measurements; receiving, from the one or more sensors, second measurement data; predicting, using the model and based on the new capacitance measurement, an expected DO measurement; determining whether to use the expected DO measurement or the new DO measurement; and controlling, a valve to cause the determined oxygen input amount to flow into the environment based on the expected DO measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Kai Hoeffner, Brooke Tam, Jonathan Wang
  • Publication number: 20230340389
    Abstract: A bioreactor includes a plurality of spargers and a plurality of vertical circulation loops. A first vertical circulation loop of the plurality of vertical circulation loops includes a first sparging region and a first return region. The first vertical circulation loop is in liquid communication with one or more other loops of the plurality of vertical circulation loops. The first vertical circulation loop is characterized by an individual loop mass transfer coefficient. A controller is coupled to the plurality of spargers and configured to control the plurality of spargers together such that a cumulative mass transfer coefficient of the plurality of vertical circulation loops is within a threshold of the individual loop mass transfer coefficient associated with the first vertical circulation loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Zheng Huang, Kai Hoeffner, Orianna Elysse Kane
  • Publication number: 20230340390
    Abstract: An airlift bioreactor includes a body, a first sparging region, a second sparging region, a first sparger configured to sparge a first gas within the first sparging region, a second sparger configured to sparge a second gas within sparging region, and a controller coupled to the first sparger and the second sparger. The controller is configured to control a first flow rate associated with the first sparger and a second flow rate associated with the second sparger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Zheng Huang, Kai Hoeffner, Orianna Elysse Kane
  • Patent number: 11662327
    Abstract: Sensors are configured to capture measurement data representing dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements of an environment and capacitance measurements of a medium of the environment. A memory includes computer-executable instructions. One or more processors are communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to carry out operations comprising: generating, using first measurement data captured by the one or more sensors, a model based on a relationship between the first set of DO measurements and the first set of capacitance measurements; receiving, from the one or more sensors, second measurement data; predicting, using the model and based on the new capacitance measurement, an expected DO measurement; determining whether to use the expected DO measurement or the new DO measurement; and controlling, a valve to cause the determined oxygen input amount to flow into the environment based on the expected DO measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Sanofi
    Inventors: Kai Hoeffner, Brooke Tam, Jonathan Wang
  • Publication number: 20220042942
    Abstract: Sensors are configured to capture measurement data representing dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements of an environment and capacitance measurements of a medium of the environment. A memory includes computer-executable instructions. One or more processors are communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to carry out operations comprising: generating, using first measurement data captured by the one or more sensors, a model based on a relationship between the first set of DO measurements and the first set of capacitance measurements; receiving, from the one or more sensors, second measurement data; predicting, using the model and based on the new capacitance measurement, an expected DO measurement; determining whether to use the expected DO measurement or the new DO measurement; and controlling, a valve to cause the determined oxygen input amount to flow into the environment based on the expected DO measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Kai Hoeffner, Brooke Tam, Jonathan Wang