Culture in a spin
11 Nov 2003
Alfa Laval has produced what it claims to be the world's first fully hermetic purpose-built cell culture centrifuge.
Developed principally for processes using mammalian cell cultures, the Culturefuge 100 can be used for laboratory testing, in a pilot plant, or for small-scale production in biotechnology applications.
The system is skid-mounted, and can handle 2000litre/hr of cell culture. Feed material enters the system through a hollow spindle inlet, and is accelerated gradually as it moves upwards, which minimises the shear force on the liquids and prevents cell destruction. The feed zone is always completely filled with rotating liquid, which stops any mixing with air. The outlet is also hermetically sealed, which prevents denaturing and foaming of the product.
The Culturefuge is controlled by an integral PLC, with a variable speed drive attached to a motor. The design complies with most major pressure vessel specifications, Alfa Laval says, including ASME and the Pressure Equipment Directive.
It is also designed to be sterilised and cleaned in place, with flushing nozzles spraying the centrifuge bowl, cyclone and frame hood.
