The rising popularity of disposable systems has created demand for new sensors, according to Polestar, because in-line monitoring and sampling for off-line analysis are both flawed when applied to single-use reactors.
In response to this demand Polestar has created the integrated Disposable Optical Transducer (iDOT), which it claims can monitor oxygen, pH and carbon dioxide without compromising sterility or risking breaking an electrode.
Manufacturers of bioprocess bags can add the sensors to their products by creating ports using the same technique for welding fluid inlets and outlets. The pre-calibrated sensor is then installed into the port and the whole system sterilised, with the iDOT able to stand this gamma irradiation.
Incorporating the iDOT into the reactor at this stage reduces the risk of contamination because there is no need to breach the bioprocess bag after sterilisation to add a sensor.
Polestar has designed the system to incorporate into the mass customisation business model, with reactor manufacturers able to incorporate the iDOT into clients bioprocess bags. The end user can then connect the sensor to a Polestar DSP Process Monitor using an optical cable.
Advantages of iDOT
Polestar believes there is a need for the iDOT because the currently available in-line and off-line monitoring techniques are unsuitable for single-use systems.
In-line is undesirable because there is a risk that the glass electrode will break and that the reactor will be contaminated when the probe is inserted into the sterile environment, according to Polestar.
The company also states off-line is more labour-intensive and cannot provide real time monitoring, which makes its iDOT a superior choice for single-use systems.