Sadly, I did not get to attend Interphex 2013 this year, but I did hear about some interesting products that were featured at the conference last week. For readers who could not attend the conference or missed wandering the exhibit hall like I did, I have included a brief description of some of the featured products.

ATMI LifeSciences’ Helium Integrity Testing System (HIT™)

With the increase in single-use assemblies that incorporate flexible containers (plastic bags), complex tubing and other disposable subcomponents, concerns about system integrity and sterility have been raised. Microscopic defects, even ones too small to cause a visible leak can allow bacteria to enter and compromise sterility. In response, ATMI has created the Helium Integrity Testing (HIT™) System, which is designed to test defects in single-use assemblies that conventional pressure decay methods cannot detect. Originally developed for ATMI in-house use; the system is now available for use at end-user facilities for integrity testing prior to use. This testing is particularly useful in the most crucial applications including high-value API, final fill, and Cell Therapy applications.

PreSens Precision Sensing GmbH’s iTube96Reader

The iTube96Reader was originally developed for a biopharmaceutical customer looking to non-invasively monitor pH in many cell culture tubes simultaneously. Now as a prototype device it has been developed for parallel monitoring of pH in up to 96 iTubes, which are cell culture tubes that have integrated pH sensor spots. The sensors are then read through the transparent tube wall, thus not interfering with culture at all. The sensors provide monitoring for pH in the range of 5.5-8.0.

ChemoMetec’s NucleoCounter NC-250

The NucleoCounter NC-250 is a powerful benchtop machine that can provide a great deal of information about the health of cells. It can perform multiple determinations of viability and cell count quickly and easily with up to eight samples per run. It also offers cell cycle analysis and apoptosis assaying capabilities. The apoptosis assay utilizes VitaBright-48 stain, which becomes fluorescent when bound to thiols inside the cells. The level of thiols present is an indication of cell health.

BlueSens’ BlueInOneVis Software Package

BlueSens has created a software package to couple with their BlueInOne gas analyzers. The BlueInOne Cell, specifically designed for cell culture applications, provides parallel measurement of the concentration of CO2 and O2 present without the need for sampling. It also automatically compensates for fluctuations of pressure and humidity in the system.

The accompanying BlueInOneVis software calculates Oxygen uptake rate, Carbon dioxide emission rate and respiratory quotient. In addition, it can monitor up to 16 analyzers on one interface.

Laval Lab’s Jupiter Bench Top Fermenter Bioreactor

Laval Lab has developed the Jupiter Bench Top Bioreactor for research, education and small-scale production. The unit is available in 2.0 liter, 4.0 liter and 6.0 liter sizes. It offers up to five Massflow controllers (Air, CO2, N2, O2, and Overlay), comes with “Leonardo” operating software, and up to four vessels can be managed with one station. Laval Lab is advertising the product as a pre-packed, ready out of the box solution at very reasonable price.

I hope this quick review of a few featured products was helpful. This is by no means a complete list; so if you have any others to add, please post the information in the comments section.