At laboratory scale, these effects can be detrimental to drug discovery programs. However, there are potential adverse effects-such as toxic effects on metabolism, lowering of cell gas uptake, and reduction of yield-from the addition of antifoam chemicals. Antifoam chemicals work by reducing the surface tension of the liquid films that form the bubbles within the foam, causing them to more rapidly break down and dissipate. It is common to control foam formation within reactor vessels with antifoam additive chemicals.

To support this higher oxygen demand, agitation and aeration rates have also increased, leading to even more foam generation.ДЇoaming has several undesirable consequences: cell entrapment within the foam, cell damage caused by the bubbles within the foam bursting, reduction of gas transfer rates from the headspace, and over-pressuring of the bioreactor due to clogged vent filters, to name but a few. Furthermore, the drive to achieve higher viable cell densities for greater product yields has increased process oxygen demand. The foaming tendency of the nutrient media used to cultivate bacteria, algae or animal cells in the production of antibiotics, vaccines, steroids and other products can create problematic operational issues. This distinction is essential when one considers the unreliability of traditional level technologies in detecting light, airy foams.The formation of foam within bioreactors has been an industry-wide issue for decades. Most, if not all, competing products are not made to work with foam. It is important to remember that Hycontrol foam probes are NOT modified level sensors, and have been custom-designed for this purpose.

ATEX barriers for hazardous areas are also available. Thresholds are adjustable for both foam and liquid level to allow for very light foams. Although the controller can provide stand-alone control, it can also interface to control different actions such as vacuum valves or gas control. To discriminate between foam and splashing or other spurious triggers, the controller has an adjustable response time. The controller is pre-programmed with several useful factory application settings/recipes to aid set-up and offers both proportional and delay-and-shot algorithms for antifoam dosing when controlling a pump or valve. HycontrolвЂ™s unique IMA sensingВ® technology ensures the system will operate correctly even if the attached sensors become severely fouled. It offers both proportional and delay-and-shot algorithms for antifoam dosing when controlling a pump or valve. Utilising one of a selection of control algorithms, the controller can activate a dosing pump to either keep the foam at a fixed level or to reduce the foam height as required. SureSense+ allows for accurate control of aqueous foam by sensing and differentiating between foam or liquid contact. This multi-probe capability allows for fully independent monitoring and dosing control of up to three tanks from a single controller, offering multi-tank users a significant cost saving.

SureSense+ is an advanced wall-mounted foam controller, which connects to up to three sensors mounted in a single or multiple process vessel(s).

Foam probes for otocheck