Innovative, Scalable, Single-Use Depth Filtration System

Clarifying cell culture broth is the first downstream unit operation in an elaborate sequence of steps required to purify a biological therapeutic. The availability of large-scale, single-use depth filtration technology in recent years has given process developers the capability to improve and simplify downstream processes.

The Zeta Plus™ Encapsulated System is a single-use depth filtration system designed for the bioprocessing industry where upstream cell culture clarification or downstream impurity removal is required. The Zeta Plus Encapsulated System consists of a variety of products deisgned to help a user scale-up processes from the laboratory to the production facility.

Lab, R&D, and Scale-Up

The Zeta Plus devices at this scale consist of the BC25 capsule with 25 cm² of depth filter media and scale-up capsule filters (below) with 170 cm², 340 cm², and 1,020 cm² of depth filter media. These tools are designed for media-grade screening, intermediate scale-up studies, and lab-scale protein production.

Pilot and Commercial Production

For pilot and larger-scale commercial production, the Zeta Plus Encapsulated System consists of three product lines: a small system that is ideal for laboratory-scale production or scale-up studies and two larger systems that are designed for production-scale biomanufacturing. The small holder (model 16EZA) can accommodate up to 2.5 m² of depth filter media, and can be assembled to perform single-stage or two-stage depth filtration within the same holder. The large holder (model 16EZB, photo right) can accommodate up to 17.5 m² of Zeta Plus filter media and is ideal for small to large production scale processes. The multiround holder (model 16EZC) incorporates multiple carousels to allow for additional filtration area for larger-scale applications. Movement of the carousel from the horizontal load position to the vertical filtration position is done by automation.

Scale-up filter capsules (170/340/1020 cm²) ()

The Zeta Plus Encapsulated System offers a fast, easy to use, and clean solution to today’s bioprocessing industry as it moves away from traditional manufacturing toward single-use systems. The Zeta Plus single-use depth filtration product portfolio combines the best of both worlds: lenticular capsule design/vertical flow path for linear scalability and efficiency in operation plus ergonomically designed holder systems for ease of use.

About the Author

Author Details
Paul M. Lubas is senior marketing manager, 3M Purification Inc., 400 Research Parkway, Meriden, CT 06450-1018; 1-203-630-4574; [email protected], www.3Mlifesciences.com.