Tangential Flow Filtration(TFF) System
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China Suppliers of Challenge HF® Hollow Fiber Cartridges for Superior Biopharmaceutical Separation and Purification Factory Solutions
Applications
Harvest, Clarification, Separation and Purification, Concentration, Diafiltration, Buffer Exchange, Microfiltration Trials.
Products
Antibody, Vaccines, Gene Therapeutics, Blood Products, Diagnostic Reagents (IVD), Antibiotics, Biochemicals, Natural Products (TCM), Exosomes, Synthetic Biology, Stem Cells.
Application Cases
Cell/Microorganism Retention and Perfusion Culture
High-Density Suspension Culture of Mammalian Cells
Clarification (Replacing Centrifugation and Depth Filtration)
Viral Vector Purification
Concentration and Buffer Exchange of Viral Vectors
Protein/Antibody Concentration and Diafiltration
Buffer Exchange
Separation and Purification of Enzymes and Nucleic Acids
Desalting, Purification, and Concentration of Various Macromolecular Biologics
Membrane Material
The Modified Polyethersulfone (mPES) hollow fiber membranes provided by Challenge IM achieve comprehensive performance enhancements through proprietary modification technology: faster hydrophilicity, higher flux, extremely low non-specific protein adsorption, excellent mechanical strength and chemical stability, and very low leachables levels, providing assurance for your product safety and compliance.
MWCO (Pore Size or MWCO)
Classified into two main categories based on pore size: Ultrafiltration membranes standardized by Molecular Weight Cut-Off (MWCO, 1-750KD), and Microfiltration membranes standardized by pore size (0.1-1μm).
Classified into two main categories based on pore size: Ultrafiltration membranes standardized by Molecular Weight Cut-Off (MWCO, 1-750KD), and Microfiltration membranes standardized by pore size (0.1-1μm).
Pore Size & MWCO Selection Guidelines:
Permeation: The pore size or MWCO should be at least 5-10 times larger than the target molecule.
Retention: The pore size or MWCO should be 1/3 to 1/5 of the target molecule's molecular weight.
Fiber Inner Diameter
Challenge IM offers hollow fiber cartridges with standard fiber inner diameters of 0.5mm and 1.0mm. Reducing the fiber ID increases the membrane packing density per unit filter, thereby increasing membrane surface area and throughput, but it may increase shear effects during fluid circulation.
1.0mm: Used for high cell density, high solid content, or high viscosity materials.
0.5mm: Used for most application scenarios to improve mass transfer efficiency.
Effective Length
The effective length of the fibers inside the hollow fiber cartridges determine the flow path length, which is related to parameters such as pressure drop across the filter (influencing the filtration driving force).
The effective length must remain consistent for direct scale-up. Changing the length will significantly alter pressure drop and internal flow fields, preventing linear scale-up. Generally, when processing highly fouling or high-viscosity fluids, it is recommended to choose filters with a shorter effective length.
Shear Force
The circulation flow rate of hollow fiber cartridges need to be set by considering the shear tolerance of the process fluid. It is typically 2000-10000 s⁻¹, which is far less than the shear force generated by turbulence on the screen surface of membrane cassettes.
Recommended Circulation Settings:
General fluids: Recommended control at 4000-6000 s⁻¹.
Shear-sensitive fluids: (e.g., Lentivirus, large proteins expressed by animal cells, LNPs, etc.) Recommended to reduce to approximately 2000 s⁻¹.
Shear-tolerant fluids: (e.g., small proteins expressed by bacteria) Can be increased to 8000-10000 s⁻¹.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What makes Modified Polyethersulfone (mPES) better than standard materials?
Challenge IM's mPES hollow fiber membranes feature proprietary modification technology that provides faster hydrophilicity, higher flux, extremely low non-specific protein adsorption, superior mechanical strength, chemical stability, and very low leachables.
Q2: How do I select the proper MWCO for retention and permeation?
For target molecule retention, select an MWCO that is 1/3 to 1/5 of the target molecule's molecular weight. For target molecule permeation, choose an MWCO or pore size that is at least 5-10 times larger than the target molecule.
Q3: When should I choose a 0.5mm vs. a 1.0mm fiber inner diameter?
0.5mm inner diameter filters are suitable for most general applications to optimize mass transfer efficiency. 1.0mm inner diameter filters are recommended when processing high-viscosity fluids, high-density cell suspensions, or materials with high solid content.
Q4: Why is keeping the effective length consistent critical for scaling up?
The effective length directly dictates the flow path length and pressure drop across the filter. Changing this length alters the internal flow field dynamics, which prevents accurate linear scale-up. Shorter lengths are preferred for high-viscosity or highly fouling fluids.
Q5: How do I adjust the shear force setting for shear-sensitive fluids?
For shear-sensitive fluids like lentiviruses, LNPs, or large proteins expressed by animal cells, reduce the shear rate to approximately 2000 s⁻¹. Standard fluids typically run at 4000-6000 s⁻¹, while shear-tolerant fluids can handle 8000-10000 s⁻¹.