Single-use bioreactor providing a family of single-use bioreactors from bench-top to full-scale production. Three challenges exist for faster and greater single use bioreactor adoption 1) higher quality and lower cost disposable bags and containers, 2) more reusable and disposable sensors and probes that can provide high quality analytics including real-time cell culture level data points, and 3) a family of bioreactors from lab to production that has full scale-up of the bioprocess. Suppliers are working to improve plastic bag materials and performance and also to develop a broader range of sensors and probes that provide scientists greater insight to cell density, quality
Single-use bioreactor validation procedures can be made easier, and will finally lead to significant cost reductions. The application of single-use bioreactors reduces the risk of cross contamination and enhances the biological and process safety. Single-use applications are especially suitable for any kind of biopharmaceutical product. Single-use bioreactors contain fewer parts compared with conventional bioreactors, so the initial and maintenance costs are reduced. Limiting factor for the use of "some" single-use bioreactors is the achievable oxygen transfer, represented by the specific mass transfer coefficient (k) for the specific phase area (a), resulting in the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient (ka). Theoretically this can