Single-Use Mixers – Benefits and Types of Mixing Systems For Bioprocess Applications

Benefits of and Types of Single-Use Mixing

This is part one of a multi-part blog covering the benefits and types of single-use mixers for bioprocess applications.

Some advantages of using a single-use mixer include the following:

• Single-use mixers tend to be user friendly
• Decreased risk of cross-contamination
• Smaller financial investment
• Ends cleaning validation and sterilization concerns
• Faster production times
• Increased accuracy
• Convenient and readily available storage
• Reduction in personnel costs
• Ready to use
• Adjustable output
• Elimination of the need for tank and impeller cleaning

Many significant benefits accompany the implementation of single-use mixing systems within the biological and pharmacology industries.

The development, testing, and manufacture of preparations such as vaccines, an array of specific cell cultures, pharmacological research, buffers formulation, and cell culture media prep require precise mixing.

Any process involving suspension, dissolution, dispersion, and homogenization depends upon accurate and thorough mixing. Incorporating single-use mixers into bio-therapeutic development and production ensures superior mixing and a more uniform end product.

There is a wide variety of single-use mixing systems on the market, most of which can be customized to address specific mixing needs.

Types of Single-Use Mixing Systems

Single-use mixers come in a wide range of designs. Both open and closed systems are standard, and each category offers several variations, each best suited for a specific type of application.

Sub-categories include:

SINGLE-USE BOTTOM-ENTRY MIXERS

Single-use mixers using traditional disposable bags with a bottom entry mixer design that is guaranteed not to shed or fail. There are no moving parts in this blender design which provides:

• More uptime.
• Zero chance of failure.
• Reduced chance of particulate shedding, which can be an issue with traditional plastic mag mixer designs.

WMProcess bottom mount mixer design is a new innovative Single Use Mixing System. Because it uses a single-use pump head, this disposable blending equipment becomes a multi-purpose bioprocessing system for:

• Single-use mixing of solutions by recirculation without rotating wetted mixer parts.
• Integrated filling and emptying of the bag
• Post-mixing processes like sterile filtration, TFF, flow through chromatography, and others
• Optional integration of inline single-use sensors (including sensors for pH, conductivity, temperature, and UV)
• Optional integration of a heat exchanger for cooling and heating the media
• Excellent disposable mixing system for buffer, media, and sterile processing

Principle: the QuattroMix Single-Use Mixing System has an inlet and outlet port, which both are connected to a pumping device. The media will be pumped out of the bag through the outlet port, circulated through the pump (and other possible post-mixing processes), and pumped back into the bag through 16 nozzles with a smooth fluid stream.

WMP Mixing Bags are available from 10liters to 2000liters.

To be continued in part two.