Automated reactor sampling system with small footprint

April 2012 Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring

Groton Biosystems recently introduced its new ARS-M Automated Reactor Sampling System with improved performance and a smaller footprint. Groton’s system is a family of on-line bioreactor auto-samplers that can sample up to eight reactors and is specifically designed for companies looking to align with the FDA’s Process Analytical Technology Initiative. An ARS system is ideal for reducing product development cycles, maximising R&D and production results and tracking overall product quality. The ARS features method development software to allow a sequence of operations lasting hours, days, or even weeks. This permits scheduled sampling of up to eight bioreactors 24/7 and eliminates labour intensive, manual sampling processes.

The precision design of the ARS pulls and delivers the sample without standing consistency to ensure accurate assay results while minimising the amount of sample required from the reactor. The ARS can acquire and deliver sample from any input port (maximum of eight) to any output port (maximum of four). There is no manual configuration required and the design allows for maximum flexibility under software control. In addition to pulling the sample, the ARS can prepare the sample for further processing or analysis.

The actual capturing and delivering of the liquid sample is managed by a compact computing sub-system integrated into the ARS-M. Whether gathering a sample from a container as small as a shot glass or as large as a 5000 gallon tank, critical to successful sampling is the precision collection process which gathers the exact amount necessary.

Driving this sampling process is a CPU board, two PC/104 I/O modules and a relay output module controlling a bank of 48 dry contact relays. These drive the many sampling channels of the ARS-M by controlling a series of low voltage solenoids to open and close extraction tubes, pulling the desired sample.

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