SARTORIUS FOAM TRANSMITTER

IST helps develop foam sensor BioPAT ® Foam

Developed in cooperation with Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG, Sartorius has launched BioPAT® Foam as part of its Biostat STR® Generation 3 system. The BioPAT® Foam is a single-use sensing system used to monitor foam level in single-use bioreactors.

A good deal of current pharmaceutical production relies on cell cultures with single-use systems increasingly becoming the preferred manufacturing solution. Cell cultures usually require constant stirring and gas feeding, which in the presence of proteins, leads to the formation of foam inside the bioreactor. Although foam formation is not a problem for the cells, if the foam level is too high, it can clog the outgas filter.

Current systems for monitoring foam formation require direct access to the interior of the bioreactor while maintaining sterility, which can increase production costs. The novel BioPAT® Foam uses an auto-adhesive patch that can be attached on the outer wall of the single-use bioreactor, which eliminates the need to change the bioreactor design.

The BioPAT® Foam System consists of a transmitter and a single-use sensor patch. The transmitter is the first complete system, brought to market by IST AG. It is available through Sartorius sales and distribution channels.

The BioPAT® Foam has a capacitive measurement system that monitors the water content of foam. The sensor patch within the system measures the capacitance change from foam formation inside the bioreactor. And because of its innovative electrode arrangement, the sensor is immune to interferences on its back side.

The BioPAT® Foam is compatible with the Biostat STR® Generation 3 system and can also be retrofitted to Biostat STR® Generation 2 systems. For more information, contact a Sartorius specialist.