Document #: 020-17475-00 Revision: E Page #: 6 of 63
D. OVERVIEW
The LevMixer
®
utilizes a levitating impeller in a sterile closed bag, driven and levitated by
a superconducting drive. The LevMixer
®
is able to mix within sterile disposable
hermetically sealed standard or custom bags with volumes up to 2000L.
The mixing system hardware has three major components:
1. Superconducting drive unit
2. Elevated Retaining Tank (either on dolly or with integrated legs)
3. Drive Port that couples drive unit with bag
The mixing system can accommodate a variety of standard and custom-designed
single-use mix bags available from PALL LifeSciences.
E. PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
The LevMixer
®
’s mixing technology is based on non-contact magnetic coupling
between conventional permanent magnets in the impeller and superconducting
material in the drive. Superconducting material has the ability to trap the magnetic
field generated by the permanent magnets and “lock the magnetic field in memory” in
an equilibrium position.
Figure 1: Noncontact magnetic coupling between the
permanent magnet and superconductors. The
superconducting material traps the magnetic field from
the magnet, resulting in stable mechanical coupling
without physical contact.
The trapped magnetic field behaves like mechanical springs; if the magnet is moved
up, down or sideways by outside forces (e.g., gravity or angular torque), it will tend to
be pulled back to an equilibrium position. The peculiar nature of magnet-
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