US 12,281,294 B2
Internally illuminated bioreactor
Kenneth Paul Peretti, Columbia, MD (US); and Timothy Lee Shaw, Clarksville, MD (US)
Assigned to Brightwave Partners, LLC, Clarksville, MD (US)
Filed by Brightwave Partners, LLC, Clarksville, MD (US)
Filed on Jan. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/568,035.
Application 17/568,035 is a continuation of application No. 17/326,469, filed on May 21, 2021, granted, now 11,214,767, issued on Jan. 4, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/028,705, filed on May 22, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0119754 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C12M 3/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/02 (2006.01); C12M 1/12 (2006.01); F21S 4/28 (2016.01); F21V 29/60 (2015.01); F21V 29/70 (2015.01); F21Y 107/30 (2016.01)
CPC C12M 31/10 (2013.01) [C12M 23/06 (2013.01); C12M 39/00 (2013.01); C12M 41/24 (2013.01); F21S 4/28 (2016.01); F21V 29/60 (2015.01); F21V 29/70 (2015.01); F21Y 2107/30 (2016.08)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An internally illuminated bioreactor, comprising:
an outer shell containing a volume of water defining a growth chamber;
a light fixture inside of said outer shell and immersed in the water, said light fixture further comprising:
a light fixture outer tube configured to allow light to pass through said light fixture outer tube into the growth chamber, wherein the growth chamber is further defined by the water between an interior of the outer shell and the exterior of the light fixture outer tube;
a light fixture interior tube having a first flow channel extending from a top of said light fixture interior tube to a bottom of said light fixture interior tube, and at least one outlet from said first flow channel adjacent said bottom of the said light fixture interior tube; and
a plurality of lighting elements positioned around a perimeter of said interior tube; and
a source of forced air in fluid communication with said first flow channel and supplying forced air to said first flow channel;
wherein a second flow channel is defined by said outer perimeter of said interior tube and an interior side of said light fixture outer tube, said second flow channel receiving warmed air from said at least one outlet and carrying said warmed air from said at least one outlet to a top of said light fixture through buoyancy of said warmed air, and wherein said first flow channel and said second flow channel together form a bidirectional, vertical cooling flow path through said internally illuminated bioreactor from a top of the internally illuminated bioreactor inside of said light fixture interior tube, out of a bottom of said light fixture interior tube, and upward between said light fixture interior tube and said light fixture outer tube.