Automatic real‐time calibration, assessment, and maintenance of generic Raman models for online monitoring of cell culture processes

Abstract Raman spectroscopy is a multipurpose analytical technology that has found great utility in real‐time monitoring and control of critical performance parameters of cell culture processes. As a process analytical technology (PAT) tool, the performance of Raman spectroscopy relies on chemometric models that correlate Raman signals to the parameters of interest. The current calibration techniques yield highly specific models that are reliable only on the operating conditions they are calibrated in. Furthermore, once models are calibrated, it is typical for the model performance to degrade over time due to various recipe changes, raw material variability, and process drifts. Maintaining the performance of industrial Raman models is further complicated due to the lack of a systematic approach to assessing the performance of Raman models. In this article, we propose a real‐time just‐in‐time learning (RT‐JITL) framework for automatic calibration, assessment, and maintenance of industrial Raman models. Unlike traditional models, RT‐JITL calibrates generic models that can be reliably deployed in cell culture experiments involving different modalities, cell lines, media compositions, and operating conditions. RT‐JITL is a first fully integrated and fully autonomous platform offering a self‐learning approach for calibrating and maintaining industrial Raman models. The efficacy of RT‐JITL is demonstrated on experimental studies involving real‐time predictions of various cell culture performance parameters, such as metabolite concentrations, viability, and viable cell density. RT‐JITL framework introduces a paradigm shift in the way industrial Raman models are calibrated, assessed, and maintained, which to the best of authors' knowledge, have not been done before.