Have you looked at continuous ultrafiltration? What are your thoughts about best practices?

Answer

Within the lab products and services ultrafiltration technologies that we focus on we have not looked at this in too much depth. Primarily because lab applications tend to revolve around low volume sample batches that need one-off, single pass through runs. Where more than a single pass through is needed some devices can be used more than once (although rarely recommended!) or there is tangential flow filtration that allows for recirculation until concentration target is met. True continuous ultrafiltration is mainly applicable to the clinical dialysis market and more recently the bioprocessing market. The former is not our field of expertise, however, our Sartorius Bioprocess division is working on continuous filtration options for the biopharma industry. From their perspective it’s important to understand what is continuous TFF, per sample batch? Per consumable? Or one system running with self-cleaning and checking water flow after each process run? The ambr crossflow system has this for example, but with single use membrane cartridges only. As otherwise the problem of membrane fouling and how to remove this in process arises. Happily I understand they’re working on new technologies in this area and so may be interested in more in-depth discussion on this.

https://www.sartorius.com/en/products/process-filtration-purification