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BioXcell® Small-Scale Stirred Tank Bioreactor

Excellent Versatility for Microbial Culture Success

Stirred tank bioreactor systems have long been around since the beginning of culturing different agents such as cells, enzymes, or antibodies. The BioXcell is a stirred tank bioreactor for small-scale research and development applications that is available in single-use or multiple-use vessels. This compact design stirred tank bioreactor entails small footprint to save space in your laboratory. Its control tower is combined with either 2 L or 10 L vessel for microbial, fermentation, and cell culture applications. Whether you are at an early stage of your research and development, this bioreactor is available in flexible configuration to suit your needs.

The Stirred Principle in BioXcell®

The interchangeable impellers in BioXcell stirred tank bioreactor provide sufficient rapid agitation to efficiently distribute and achieve homogeneity inside the bioreactor. Different impeller designs offer different fluid dynamics to utilize the suitable mass transfer proteins for higher product yield.

Features

  • Batch
  • Fed-Batch
  • Perfusion

Applications

  • Microbial Cells
  • Insect Cells
  • Fungi
  • Mammalian Cells in Suspension
BioXcell Control Tower (then show 2L and 10L vessel please)
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Highlights
Combination Technology

Combination Technology

Single-use components facilitate a more robust approach as it eliminates cleaning validation steps and more. The BioXcell bioreactor is a combination technology where users can opt to utilize a single-use or multiple-use vessel. Autoclavable vessels such as glass and stainless are mainly used from laboratory for ease of scale-up to manufacturing scale. Multiple-use vessels have a long history in the manufacturing sectors of the bioprocessing industry. Not only are there a lot of experience and established protocols in using one, but also the capacity size it can offer in contrast with single-use.

This combination technology maintains production capacity while building confidence to the user’s requirements. The implementation of single-use systems is more efficient and cost-effective while a combination technology, even with its established protocols and methods, offers a practical way of microbial culture up to manufacturing scale.

ADVANTAGES
Single-use Multiple-use
Increased product facility flexibility Well-established; conventional method
Low to zero contamination Implementation of other technologies through fixed piping
Reduced capital costs such as for equipment and facility validations Available in large capacities
No cleaning required Advanced control parameters and measurement
DISADVANTAGES
Single-use Multiple-use
Limited Scalability (not suitable for manufacturing scale) Inflexible infrastructure
Repeated consumable usage Routinal cleaning and validation
Learning curve (new technology adaptation) High utility costs
Damaged main vessel unit can impose leakage Piping problems
Extractables and leachables Contamination may occur if not properly cleaned and sterilized

Impeller Design

The impeller inside the stirred tank bioreactor is suitable for internal mixing of different components to achieve homogeneity. It is also responsible to break-up bubble build-up during gas-sparged aeration when culturing. Impellers are usually attached from the top or from the bottom or side. It is installed in an impeller shaft which is usually circular and orient perpendicular to the bioreactor’s bottom part of the tank.

Impeller Design

Based on the liquid viscosity of the bioreactor, different impellers should be used to achieve higher tip speed that is relative to the running culture conditions. There are propellers, turbines, paddles, and more that operates at a faster speed as compared to standard ones. As scale increases, a proper mixing state is of importance to reduce detrimental effects during microbial culture.

Radial Flow Impellers

Radial Flow Impellers

The rushton-type turbine is the best example of radial flow impellers usually used in a standard stirred-tank bioreactor. This type of impeller offers good gas dispersion capabilities and bubble break-up that leads to high mass transfer.

Radial Flow Impellers

Axial Flow Impellers

Propeller-type impellers allow direct fluid flow within the stirred tank bioreactor. The propeller-types are usually used for low viscosity culture due to its relatively higher tip speed. As they are usually operated faster, one should make sure that gas-liquid dispersion is achieved.

Frequently Asked Questions
The stirred tank bioreactor is delivered ready to use. It is best to mount it on a laboratory table for ease of access. The 2 L unit only covers up 350 x 692 x 925 mm.
The BioXcell® control tower is suitable for controlling vessel scales in 2 L, 5 L, up to 10 L scale. Whether you are using a single-use or glass vessel, the control tower is equipped with reliable operating protocols and automated hardware to suit your needs.
No, the BioXcell is a compact stirred tank bioreactor that runs one culture at a time.
The BioXcell stirred tank bioreactor is designed for users to understand directly without the need for training. Its straightforward features accompany the user in their culture run to start in the shortest possible time.
When purchasing the unit, make sure that the right set of impeller designs, tubings, additional ports (if needed) are ordered. The 2 L and 10 L vessels are packed in a standard which can be readily used once received.
Depending on the type of microorganisms being cultured, parameter set-up varies. For example, parameters for suspension-adapted mammalian cell lines cannot be used in StirCradle as this system only culture microbes. If you are scaling up from 10 L BioXcell to StirCradle 20 L under bacterial conditions, recommended protocol should be observed.
Cleaning your glass vessel requires detergent, and in most cases, water is sufficient to remove unwanted dirt and stains. Depending on the product cultured in the system, certain decontamination steps should be done to avoid future culture problems (like contamination).
Bacteria, fungi, algae, and suspension cells can be cultured in the system. Suspension-adapted mammalian cell lines are cultured in the bioreactor at a low agitation rate for lower shear stress and improved culture conditions can be followed based on the recommended protocol.
The configuration of BioXcell enables flexible and reliable cultivation to achieve faster response times, accurate parameter controls for optimized culture conditions. The impellers in the system can be interchanged with different designs depending on the mass transfer that needs to be achieved.
The impeller design to be chosen depends on the type of cell to be cultured, the liquid’s viscosity, and the type of product to be produced.
The system can further be improved to GMP compliance at additional costs.

Product Specification

BioXcell®

UTILITY
CONTROL TOWER Electrical connection 230 VAC Single Phase 30A
Housing Stainless Steel
Water Quick connect
Water supply pressure requirement: 1.5 M
Gas Supply (air, O2, N2, CO2) Push-connect fittings accept ¼ in. tubing or hose barb fitting
Requirement: 10psig (0.69 barg)
Overall Dimension (W x D x H) 350 x 692 x 925 mm
VInterface Colored Touch Screen Siemens HMI TP700
Siemens PLC S7 1200
Features Real-time dynamic display
Record Output USB port to save data to an external flash drive
Vessel Feature BioXcell® 2 L BioXcell® 10 L
Nominal Volume 2 L 10 L
Working Volume 1-2 L 3-10 L
Tank Nominal Weight 5 kg 852 mm
Maximum Height (with condenser) 520 mm 852 mm
Maximum Outer Diameter 220 mm 220 mm
Agitation Drive Small AC servo motor with automatic feedback compensation
capable of low speed, high torque
Sensor Incremental encoder TTL 2500 ppr
Range 1-1200 rpm
Precision 1 rpm
Impeller 2x Rushton Turbine Impeller
*Configurable designs based on user requirement
Baffles Inclusive in Standard Vessel
Temperature Operating Conditions Ambient Temperature
Precision ±0.01
Sensor PT 100
Control Heating Pad
pH Range 2-12
Precision ±0.01
Probe Analog/Digital Mettler Toledo
Probe Length BioXcell® 2 L: 225 mm
BioXcell® 10 L: 325 mm
Control Fermentation: Acid/Alkali Addition
Cell Culture: CO2 /Alkali Addition
DO Range Display Range: 0-200%
Setting Range: 0-100%
Precision ±0.01%
Probe Analog/Digital Mettler Toledo
Probe Length BioXcell® 2 L: 225 mm
BioXcell® 10 L: 325 mm
Control Gas Injection through Sparger
Delivery Ring Sparger
Options Mass flow controller
Oxygen Enrichment Device
Second Gas Port (O2, N2, CO2, or other gases)
Oxygen Transfer Rate
Condenser Filter 0. 2µm PTFE filter
Condenser Stainless Steel Condenser
Peristaltic Pumps Number 4 built-in, configurable peristaltic pumps
Configurations Alkali, Acid, Feed, Antifoam
Pump head Watson Marlow or Equivalent
Tube Sizes Default: 3.2 mm
*Configurable depending on user requiremnt
Fixed Speed 20-200rpm
Flowrate 9.4 to 95mL/min
Esco Lifesciences Group