Optimized bioreactor vessel design

• Several interchangeable vessel types allow growing cultures in volumes from 35 ml to over 6 liters with just one single instrument. Our standard vessel is of 1 liter total volume. It allows getting high quality results at minimal costs. The autoclavable whole-glass vessels are single-walled (jacketed vessels are not needed in the MINIFOR bioreactor system, see revolutionary radiation heating), but if needed, jacketed vessels can also be supplied.
• A big advantage is that the costs of passing to vessels of other volumes are much lower than in traditional systems using head plates. Therefore, the users are not forced to select unpractical, unnecessarily large volume vessels, because they think to eliminate future high costs for additional larger vessels.

Vessel type:	0.3	0.4	1	3	7
Volume [L]:  *)	0.035-0.4	0.15-0.45	0.3-1.7	0.5-3	1-6
Height [cm]: **)	34	22	34	37	50
Diameter [cm]: **)	22	23	25	34	30

^*) Volume: approximate minimal and maximal working volumes. May vary according to the conditions of each application.

^**) Height + Diameter: approximate dimensions of the vessel for autoclaving with typical accessories. May vary according to the conditions of each application.

The selection of simple, inexpensive and easy-to-use bottle-like bioreactor vessels would never be feasible without the introduction of several innovations:

The novel non rotational mixing does not generate a central eddy (vortex) and therefore no baffles are required anymore. As a consequence, there is no need to provide a large central vessel opening otherwise indispensable just for the installation of these baffles! The central opening can therefore be of much smaller diameter and such a central neck can be closed easily and at low cost just by using a threaded cap. During the same closing movement the elastic sterility membrane is brought into position. This elastic membrane closes physically the vessel from its outer environment and at the same time enables the up and down agitation movement. The very time consuming preparation and mounting of traditional head plates has been eliminated!

The revolutionary radiation heating eliminates completely the need for jacketed vessels and generates natural convection even without any stirring! This allows us to use single-walled vessels which considerably increase heat transfer during sterilization and cooling. The sterilization procedure is faster and thermal decomposition of medium components is strongly reduced. Radiation heating through the bottom of the vessel allows an easy use of culture vessels of different volumes. As there is no changing of heating jackets (heating blankets), head plates, electrodes (probes), the cost of passing from one vessel volume to another is considerably reduced compared to all other systems on the market.

The threaded side necks allow unhindered access to all ports. Multi-seal permanent stoppers are easy-to-use and eliminate sealing problems due to the well known flattening of o-rings with the resulting loss of sterility and high run to run costs (operation costs). The ports for the probes are located in such a way that the same probes can be used in any vessel volume. This makes a considerable economy when compared with bioreactors of other producers.

With the exception of inexpensive lateral vessel holders and stirring axis all other parts can be reused when working with different fermentation vessel sizes.

Multiple ports and additional solutions increase the effective port number of the MINIFOR fermenter-bioreactor, so that its configuration corresponds to 16 classical ports. This is more than enough for the vast majority of fermentation and cell culture requirements. Moreover, the ports can be configured freely by the user according to the application needs.

The use of large needles (cannulaes) passing through silicon stoppers allows an easy and low cost adjustment to the process by the user. It is not necessary to buy special and expensive parts and accessories.