Fermenter – Bioreactor
Minifor2Bio fermenter & bioreactor
LAMBDA Minifor2Bio is a high quality and innovative lab scale fermenter and benchtop bioreactor at a reasonably low cost. Innovation and new concepts increase the productivity in laboratory fermentation and cell culture experiments:
LAMBDA Minifor2Bio laboratory fermenter & bioreactor
The LAMBDA Minifor2Bio is a modern, miniature bench-top fermenter, equipped with high-end technologies, for working volumes in the range from 35 ml up to 6 litres. The fermenter offers to the user a modern access to fermentations and cell cultures and the corresponding control and monitoring of the process parameters.
Minimize the risk by perfect overview
The intuitive and easy-to-use user interface ensures a low risk of user-fail during configuration or use. For critical performance parameters the device has in-built alarm functions for low- and high-levels with a corresponding audio-visual system alert.
All process parameters are clearly shown on the large TFT display and the trends can be seen in fully configurable charts.
The fermenter & bioreactor system comes with implemented software
The sophisticated software implementation contains a lot of special functions as for example flexible pump control schemes, cascade controls, a parameter profile creation manager (preparing of recipes) and many others.
Remote control & data storage
LAMBDA Minifor2Bio can be connected to the Local Area Network (LAN) and this fact open doors to monitoring or managing the device over the internet from any place in the world. To ensure security in use LAMBDA Minifor2Bio has in-built user management with user rights.
All events and process data are stored in an internal memory with 8 GB capacity. This ensures enough storing capacity also for very long time processes.
7“ TFT IPS DISPLAY WITH PROJECTIVE CAPACITIVE TOUCH PANEL
A large and fine resolution display ensures user-friendly operation and clear information about process values, set points or trends in charts.
HIGH-END TECHNOLOGIES
The base unit is built on dual technology (two processor inside) for high precision of measurement and regulation providing all modern features of graphic user interface and connectivity options.
IR HEATING
The culture vessel is heated by heat radiation produced in a parabolic radiator with a gold reflector placed under the fermentation vessel. The heat is absorbed gently by the culture similarly to the sun heating water.
No overheating of the culture at any volume and expensive double-wall vessels with thermostatic baths or heating blankets are eliminated.
VESSEL FIXING BASE
A universal vessel fixing base made from stainless steel guarantees a stable fastening of the bioreactor vessels with different working volume ranges. Each vessel type has its own holder for the base unit and vessel stand for the preparation phase on the lab bench.
ACTIVE PERIPHERALS POWER SUPPLY AND COMMUNICATION
The base unit supplies the power for all connected active peripherals as e.g., pumps, gas flow regulators, anti-foam dosing pump, gas concentration meters etc. and by the same cable connection ensures the communication for their control. There is no need for any additional cables/power supplies for the connection to the base unit.
IN-BUILT AIR FLOW MEASUREMENT AND REGULATOR
The Minifor2Bio lab fermenter-bioreactor is equipped with a thermal mass flow meter and precise proportional needle valve with its controller for a precise and recordable aeration and regulation of dissolved oxygen (DO). This solution allows to automatically control the concentration of dissolved oxygen by the flow rate variation and not merely by the variation of the stirring speed, which could be detrimental for certain microorganisms.
REACTOR VESSELS AND WORKING VOLUME RANGE
The reactor vessel is the heart of the laboratory fermenter and bioreactor: The LAMBDA MINIFOR fermenter and bioreactor series use autoclavable glass vessels (0.3L, 0.4L, 1L, 3L or 7L) for a working volume range from 35 ml to 6 liters and offer enough threaded connections for probes, Fluid ports and the mixing unit with ventilation system
0.3L
Working volume: 35-400ml
Height: 34 cm
Diameter: 22 cm
0.4L
Working volume: 150-450ml
Height: 22 cm
Diameter: 23 cm
1L
Working volume: 300ml-1.7L
Height: 34 cm
Diameter: 25 cm
3L
Working volume: 500ml-3L
Height: 37 cm
Diameter: 34 cm
7L
Working volume: 1-6L
Height: 50 cm
Diameter: 30 cm
The vessels are made of high-quality borosilicate glass with a large central threaded opening for attaching the LAMBDA EASY STERILTY membrane and the vibromixer.
Up to 8 threaded necks are available for connecting various probes, exhaust air and connections.
Ports
Up to 4 connections are available on a single side connection of the reactor vessel! The connections are for sampling, inoculation, acid/base/anti-foam addition, feeding and harvesting, etc.
The space-saving, laterally protruding connectors allow unhindered access to all connections. reliable multi-sealing plugs are easy to use.
Advantages of using optimized MINIFOR rector vessels:
- Economical and flexible solution for laboratory scale
- Optimized user-friendly reactor vessel design
- Unique ergonomic easy-sterility concept to minimize contamination
- Perfect view inside the reactor
- Precise control of process parameters for each fermentation volume
- Modular and cost-efficient design
- Increased productivity by eliminating contamination risks
The connections for the probes are designed so that the same probes can be used for reactor vessels of other sizes . This means significant savings compared to laboratory fermenters and bioreactors from other manufacturers. Further details on the advantages of LAMBDA reactor vessels can be found at https://www.lambda-instruments.com/fermenter-bioreactor/optimized-vessel-design/
ANALOG COMBINED pH-PROBES
For the measurement of pH, temperature and / or ORP the Minifor2Bio uses analog probes from Hamilton or Mettler Toledo.
All analog / digital signal conversions are processed in the cable connector where the probe calibration is directly stored.
Advantage
This eliminates common interference and noise problems in the very sensitive analog pH-probe signal. In addition, the pH-probe can be connected to another Minifor2Bio fermenter-bioreactor without the necessity to re-calibrate.
ANALOG CLARK-TYPE pO2 PROBE
The Minifor2Bio can be supplied with an analog pO2 probe (DO / dissolved oxygen probe) made by LAMBDA Laboratory Instruments. The analog / digital conversion is implemented in the cable connector and the calibration data is stored in the LAMBDA Minifor2Bio memory.
DIGITAL HAMILTON ARC PROBES
The LAMBDA Minifor2Bio is equipped to connect and process data from digital Hamilton ARC technology probes. With the external Hamilton Probe Expander, Minifor2Bio can manage up to five digital probes.
Supported probes are:
- EasyFerm Plus pH probes,
- EasyFerm ORP (redox) probes,
- VisiFerm DO (pO2) probes,
- Dencytee Optical Density (OD) probes and Incyte Viable Cell Density probes,
- Conducell conductivity probes,
- Control dissolved CO2 (dCO2) probes
Find more information about Hamilton probes and applications on
www.hamiltoncompany.com/process-analytics/sensors
IN-BUILT pH REGULATOR
The Minifor2Bio bench-top lab fermenter-bioreactor is automatically regulating the desired set value of the pH by external peristaltic pumps LAMBDA PRECIFLOW touch depending on the measured value from an analog or digital pH-probe. The pH controller uses a two-point calibration with automatic temperature compensation.
pH control possibilities:
The desired pH value can be set as
- fixed value or
- pre-defined profile (changing values over time) or
- can be driven by a cascade depending on another process value (parameter).
Further features are the setting of a dead band and offset as well as the desired displayed precision of the pH-value.
The parameter value can be monitored within the preset limits (low and high level) and in the event of a deviation an acoustic and visual alarm is triggered.
IN-BUILT TEMPERATURE REGULATOR
The Minifor2Bio lab fermenter-bioreactor is automatically regulating the medium temperature considering also the selected vessel volume.
Possibilities to control the temperature of the the culture broth
The desired temperature value (set point) of the culture broth can be set as
- fixed value or
- pre-defined profile (changing values over time) or
- driven by a cascade depending on another process value (parameter).
The laboratory technician chooses the display precision.
The parameter value can be monitored within the preset limits (low and high level) and in the event of a deviation an acoustic and visual alarm is triggered.
IN-BUILT DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO, pO2) MEASUREMENT & CONTROL
The Minifor2Bio lab fermenter-bioreactor is equipped for the automatical regulation of the dissolved oxygen (DO, pO2) in the medium. By default, the in-built MASSFLOW for air supply is used for DO control.
Possibities of DO control
Desired value (set point) can be set as
- fixed DO value or
- pre-defined profile (changing DO values over time)or
- driven by a cascade depending on another process value (parameter).
The DO regulator offers two options of regulation:
- mode “AIR”
using the in-built air flow regulator to reach the set-point - mode “CASCADE”
using composite of air flow, O2-enrichement and agitation as edited by the technician.
The user can choose operating units and display precision.
The parameter value can be monitored within the preset limits (low and high level) and in the event of a deviation an acoustic and visual alarm is triggered.
IN-BUILT AIR FLOW REGULATOR
The Minifor2Bio lab fermenter-bioreactor can automatically regulate the air flow supplied into the medium over the micro-sparger or also as surface aeration.
Possiblities of air flow control
Desired value (set point) of air flow can be set as
- fixed value or
- pre-defined profile (changing values over time)
- driven by a cascade depending on another process value (parameter).
The user can choose operating units and display precision.
The parameter value can be monitored within the preset limits (low and high level) and in the event of a deviation an acoustic and visual alarm is triggered.
Remark: The in-build MASSFLOW for air for aerobe cultivation can also handle N2 for anaerobe fermentations!
IN-BUILT FOAM LEVEL DETECTION AND ANTI-FOAM CONTROLLER
Minifor2Bio is equipped with the ANTIFO foam detection and antifoam agent regulation.
The foam level is sensed via electrodes (two cannulas used on the culture vessel) and when the preset level is exceeded,
- the LAMBDA DOZITO miniature syringe pump
or - the LAMBDA PRECIFLOW touch peristaltic pump
is automatically activated at a set interval.
The DOZITO mini syringe pump performs one dose per interval. The dose volume of the anti-foam agent can be set mechanically.
For the peristaltic pump, the dose of the supplied anti-foam agent is defined by the flow rate and the dosing time.
ORP MEASUREMENT (REDOX)
The Minifor2Bio is equipped for the measurement of the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP, REDOX).
The user can choose the probe to activate the ORP measurement from:
- an analog pH probe equipped with an ORP sensor
or - a digital Hamilton ARC ORP probe.
AGITATION CONTROL
The agitation unit of the Minifor2Bio can be operated
- in fixed value mode,
- preset profile (changing values over time) or
- cascade control depending on another process value (parameter).
PUMP CONTROL
- ACID,
- BASE,
- FEED,
- HARVEST,
- PUMP X,
- PUMP Y,
- PUMP Z,
In the pump controller, it is possible to preset
- a fixed value,
- a pre-defined profile or
- a cascade control for each of these functions.
The pump start can be set by a condition (for example, pO2 is lower or higher than a desired value).
DEVICE MANAGER
The Minifor2Bio lab fermenter-bioreactor is equipped with a software device manager. The manager contains information about the connected active peripherals, the setting of operating parameters of the peripherals and functions for direct control.
TREND CHARTS
Minifor2Bio provides the user with a complete overview of the trends of any measured or set parameter. There are three basic sets of graphs, for which the displayed parameters can be freely preset. The scale can be changed as desired.
PARAMETER PROFILES
The value of each parameter can be defined by a time profile (change of the value over time according to the preset scenario).
The time axis can be
- STANDALONE
(independent of elapsed fermentation time – relative time) or - ELAPSED TIME
(dependent on elapsed fermentation time – absolute time).
The technician chooses between
- STEP (step change) or
- RAMP (linear step change) to switch between the preset values.
Profiles can be stored in the internal memory.
The resulting profile can be displayed in a clear graph.
CASCADE CONTROL
Cascade control creates links between individual outputs (requests) of control loops or between individual parameters. The results of the configuration are displayed in a clear graph.
Application example:
The most common link is intended for dissolved oxygen (DO, pO2): Depending on the controller’s requirements are proportionally controlled:
- the parameters of the airflow regulator
- the control of the LAMBDA MASSFLOW gas flow regulator with pure oxygen
- optionally the agitation unit
SMALLEST FOOTPRINT FOR PARALLEL EXPERIMENTS
For the optimization of growth parameters of the culture or optimization of bio-transformations, the LAMBDA Minifor2Bio parallel reactor system with small foot-print is highly suitable for running parallel experiments).
For data comparison and remote control of parallel bioreactors, LAMBDA Laboratory Instruments developed the computer software MiRETO.
TECHNICAL PARAMETERS
| FERMENTOR- BIOREACTOR | |
|---|---|
| Power supply | Universal power supply for mains 100–240 V AC/50–60Hz, 400W, CE conform Fused 5 x 20 F2A |
| Dimensions | 220 x 444 x 350–550 mm (W x D x H) |
| Architecture | Dual microprocessor technology MIPS 120 MHz ARM 1 GHz Quad-Core |
| Operating memory | 2 GB |
| Internal Memory (non-volatile) | 8 GB 4GB available for process or user data saving |
| Display | 7” TFT IPS with resolution 1024x600 and capacitive touch panel |
| Fermenter vessel | Pyrex glass with 6 to 8 side necks; 0.3 L, 0.4 L, 1 L, 3 L, 7 L vessels |
| Temperature control | High efficiency 150 W infrared (IR) radiation heat source with gilded parabolic reflector |
| - Regulation | from 5 °C above RT to 70 °C |
| - Measurement | from 0 to 99.9 °C in 0.1 °C steps |
| - Precision | ± 0.2°C (0 to 60 °C) (depending on the accuracy of the probe) |
| - Sensor | Pt 100 incorporated in the glass electrode of the pH probe (analog combined pH probes or digital probes) |
| - Control type | fixed value, profile, or cascade control |
| pH control | Sterilisable pH electrode pH 0–14 with automatic temperature correction, two-point calibration and Variopin connector or digital probe ARC |
| - Range | 0 to 14.0 pH unit |
| - Resolution | 0.1 or 0.01 pH unit (adjustable) |
| - Analog probe types | analog autoclavable Hamilton/Mettler Toledo pH-probe with Pt 100 temperature sensor or similar with Variopin connector |
| - Digital probe types | Hamilton ARC technology with Variopin 8 connector |
| - Calibration | two-points with automatic temperature compensation (with analog combined probe connector data stored inside – moveable to another Minifor2Bio unit without recalibration of the probe) |
| - Precision | ± 0.02 pH unit |
| - Offset | up to 0.5 pH unit (adjustable) |
| - Regulation | with two peristaltic pumps (PRECIFLOW touch type) for ACID and BASE addition |
| - Regulation dead zone | from ± 0.05 to ± 0.2 pH unit (adjustable) |
| - Control type | fixed value, profile, or cascade control |
| pO2 control | Sterilisable Clark-type oxygen sensor with fast response, automatic temperature correction, two-point calibration, dissolved oxygen (DO) control through regulation of the airflow rate or cascade controller |
| - Range | 0 to 25 mg oxygen/ l, in 0.1 mg/l steps 0–100% saturation (adjustable units) |
| - Resolution | 0.1 or 0.01 (adjustable) |
| - Analog probe type | LAMBDA sterilisable Clark type oxygen sensor with fast response |
| - Digital probe type | Hamilton ARC technology (Clark type or optical) |
| - Calibration | two-points (automatic parameters calculation inside) |
| - Control type | fixed value, profile, cascade or direct pO2 regulator |
| - Regulation | air flow regulator only or cascade control (air flow, agitation and optionally O2 MASSFLOW touch |
| Air flow control | Internal proportional special needle valve |
| - Range | from 0 to 5.00 l/min with 0.01 steps |
| - Linearity | 0.0025 l/s minimal step change for stable linear ramps or gradients |
| - Measure precision | ± (1.5% + 0.010 l/min) |
| - Pressure | from 0.5 to 2 Bar |
| - Control type | fixed value, profile, cascade or direct pO2 regulator |
| Agitation control | Up-and-down agitation unit |
| - Range | from 0.0 to 20.0 Hz in 0.1 steps |
| - Control type | fixed value, profile or cascade control |
| - Motor | 50W BLDC type sensored |
| - Connection | Magnetic coupling with moving axis |
| - Mixing | one or more special fish-tail discs |
| Ports / side necks | One large quadruple sampling or additions port with four needles with LAMBDA PEEK double-seal connections, used for sampling, inoculation, antifoam, feeds, harvest, addition of correction solutions etc., additional double or multi-ports are available. |
| Active peripherals (DEVICES) | Device managed by internal software manager |
| - Pumps | PRECIFLOW touch, HIFLOW touch, MAXIFLOW touch, MEGAFLOW touch |
| - Gas flow regulators | MASSFLOW 500, MASSFLOW 5000 |
| - Gas flow meters | OXYMETER, CARBOMETER, METHANMETER |
| - Compressors | AEROSILENTO |
| - Balance | BALANCE 20 |
| Operating environment | |
| - Temperature | 0–40 °C |
| - Humidity | 0–90 %, without condensation |
| Weight | 6 kg |
| Interface | USB 1.1/2.0 type B (PC control) USB 1.1/2.0 type A (Host) for data export or software updates LAN WIFI (optional) |
| Communication protocol | All data transfer in realised in JSON text format (commands, data in/out) |
| PC Software | Software application MIRETO for online monitoring, manage and data download |
| Operating system | Embedded linux Buildroot |
| Software license | Graphic user interface and application server is developer under LGPLv3 license of Qt Library 5.13.1. The library source code and access to system will be provided upon request with additional information. |
| Confirmity | DIRECTIVE 2014/30/EU DIRECTIVE 2014/35/EU |
| Technical Standards | EN 61326-1:2013 EN 61010-1:2010/A1:2019/AC:2019-04 |
FAQ
Do you sell/ship to the USA?
Yes, we do supply our instruments directly with door-to-door delivery option by the parcel services to the USA.
How long is the warranty?
We offer a 2-year warranty for Minifor2Bio fermenter / bioreactor.
Does this fermentor work on both mammalian cells and yeast cells?
Yes, LAMDA Minifor2Bio fermentor and bioreactor can be used for mammalian and yeast cell cultures.
Is there flexibility in the top plate to add or remove probes?
Yes, LAMBDA Minifor2Bio has free ports in the headspace for the additional probes (sensors). Multiple ports and other effective solutions in the fermentation glass vessel make the LAMBDA Minifor2Bio configuration equivalent to 16 to 22 classical ports (it is possible to increase the number of ports – custom made solution).
Is the equipment suitable for use in pure / mixed culture?
Yes, LAMBDA Minifor2Bio is suitable for pure as well as mixed cultures.
Why is LAMBDA Minifor2Bio perfectly suitable for parallel processes?
Each fermentation unit LAMBDA Minifor2Bio stays independent as it is equipped with a control panel and display. All parameters are regulated locally inside each fermenter-bioreactor unit, this allows fast and precise parameter control. Further advantage of LAMBDA Minifor2Bio is that in case one unit gets shut down, the other units will still keep running.
How important is the slowdown in parameter control while running 12 bioreactors in parallel?
An important aspect to consider – which, however, does not play a role in the LAMBDA Minifor2Bio parallel system because each fermenter unit comes with its proper control system that measures and controls all parameters locally. As a consequence the quality of the measurement and regulation is not affected by long transmission times and dead times in regulation.
How much space is required for the Minifor2Bio unit?
Footprint: approximately a sheet of A4 paper.
Dimensions: 220 cm x 444 cm x 350-550 mm (W x H x D), the height is depending on the selected vessel.
