Lab Scale Depth Filtration with FILTROSPIN™ 20

FILTROSPIN™ 20 by FILTROX enables you to quickly and efficiently test different depth filters or quickly purify a small amount of liquid. The filters are inserted into standard 50 mL centrifuge tubes (Labcon® SuperClear® 50 mL tubes). The liquid is then filtered using a centrifuge or vacuum.

In order to evaluate the most suitable and optimized production process, small-scale trials are the key factor to start with. With the help of laboratory scale trials, errors and other issues can be identified early in the development process and responded to accordingly. In this application note, the quick and easy way to identify a suitable depth filter sheet for a respective product to be filtered before purchasing the large and expensive filtration equipment is described. For this, the FILTROSPIN™ 20 from FILTROX can be used. Various filtration trials were performed by using a centrifuge or a vacuum chamber. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages but overall, both systems are ideal if quick information about a filtration process is desired. In addition, it is shown that the three different filtration methods standard depth filtration, alluvial filtration and treatment with powdered activated carbon can be applied by using the FILTROSPIN™ 20.

Small scale filtration devices are becoming more interesting, especially in the biopharmaceutical industry. High cell densities, for example mammalian cells, are cultivated to get highest yields of a respective protein, like a monoclonal antibody (mAb). To evaluate a suitable production process, a screening in the small-scale size is performed to reduce potential issues coming up in the pilot or even production scale. In addition, small batch sizes are becoming more interesting within the personalized medicines industry.