The SFR Shake Flask Reader

TubeSpin bioreactors are used for cell cultivation as a cost effective alternative to larger scale cultivation systems. However, the characteristics of the tubes with regard to oxygen transfer have hardly been investigated. Using a specially adapted SFR Shake Flask Reader and chemical optical sensors with rapid response time from PreSens, kLa for TubeSpin systems was determined. The characteristics of these cultivation vessels were investigated more closely, which represents an important step towards defined screening processes by monitoring oxygen in TubeSpin bioreactors. TubeSpin bioreactors are used for cell cultivation at mL scale in orbitally shaken incubators. Thus, development of optimized cell culture media and identification of specific cell lines can be carried out quickly and inexpensively [1]. There is currently very little information in the literature about oxygen transfer in TubeSpin bioreactors. Zhang [2] studied the characteristics of TubeSpin bioreactors and listed kLa values up to 29 h-1. The volumetric oxygen mass tranfer coefficient (kLa) indicates the ability of oxygen transfer from gas phase to the liquid phase [3]