Michael C Stapleton, 695871 Crystal Park Cir, Saint Louis, MO 63128

6028172, Feb 22, 2000

Mar 9, 1999

9/155798

Nicholas Stepaniuk - Chesterfield MO
Keith Tomazi - Florisant MO
Michael C. Stapleton - Pevely MO

Mallinckrodt Inc. - St. Louis MO

A61K 3800
B01L 300
B01J 1900

530334

A solid phase peptide synthesis reactor system and method of operating the reactor are provided. The reactor system includes a basket rotatable about an axis within a housing and a receiver which delivers fluid to, and collects fluid from, the housing. The basket has a perforate side wall against which a resin cake for the peptide synthesis is formed. The reactor and receiver form a loop or circuit through which solutions are circulated. The circulation of the solutions prevents the reactor from flooding so that the basket will not be submerged in solution and allows for the use of less liquid. Thus greater amino acid concentrations may be used. The method includes forming a resin cake of uniform depth on the wall of the spinning basket and spraying the solutions against the resin cake while spinning the basket. The solutions will pass through the resin cake and drain to the receiver to be circulated or recycled through the system or discharged from the system. Before a subsequent solution is introduced into the reactor system, the prior solution is purged from the system to help control exposure time of the peptide to the solutions.