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GEA has introduced Kytero 10, claimed to be the ‘world’s smallest’ single-use disc stack centrifuge, for use in food product development as well as the biopharmaceutical industry.

The solution is designed to separate bacteria, cell cultures and yeasts as well as applications in cell and gene therapy. It is the smallest model in the GEA range for cell separation and recirculation, and is suitable for volumes from one to ten litres. Other models of the Kytero series cover ranges from 500 to 2,000 litres.

High cell visibility with continuous cell harvesting and perfusion processes, by use of centrifugal separation, is possible thanks to the solution’s low shear design – from labatory scale up to production size. The separator is ideal for the smallest batch and perfusion fermenters.

GEA’s proven disc stack technology has been implemented in compact machines with units containing all parts that come into contact with the product. These are exchanged after a production run to provide maximum safety against contamination. Gamma-treated exchangeable units are available as standard.

The new single-use perfusion separators offer the same advantages as classic disc stack separators, but without the need for cleaning processes CIP (cleaning-in-place) and SIP (sterilisation-in-place).

According to GEA, they are ready for the next process run within several minutes and require no media other than electricity and air. The compact design and easy operability are designed to enable simple operation, while the non-contact drive system Breeze Drive offers safe operation under high biocontainment requirements.

The new Kytero 10 separators enable continuous operation over the perfusion period and continuous clarification of the fermentation broth.

The clarified liquid, which usually contains the product, is continuously removed from the process and fed to the next process stages. Exceptions are bacterial processes and new food applications where the cells are the valuable product. The concentrated biomass is gently returned to the bioreactor, ensuring productivity.

Continuous processing reduces the size of the bioreactor and lowers costs, as operators no longer need wait for the end of a batch run to separate cells and recover the target protein. Instead of discarding or harvesting cells at the end, they are returned to the bioreactor and only discharged partially so that production can run continuously for weeks. This makes it possible to bring new products to market faster and more cost-effectively.