EZMEMS & [RENOLIT] – [RENOLIT] MULTISENSE SENSORS ON POLYMERS FOR BIOREACTORS

Since COVID-19 at the latest, it has been known that vaccination batches can show large differences since quality control is still challenging. The new multi sensing technology in a plastic chip for single use bioreactors could be a real game changer: They read a status of liquids without taking samples!

Until now, getting a status of the vaccines or other liquids in large or small containers means taking samples. Another challenge is to ensure the consistent quality of drugs or other liquids that are added within the production process.

Our polymer solutions are protecting a multitude of liquids: blood, IV solutions, vaccines, parenteral nutrition, drugs, and many more. As part of our open innovation approach and to ensure reliable quality and safety of the products, RENOLIT supports EZMEMS, a developer of high-performance multisensing technology in a plastic chip for direct integration into plastic.    

Our goal is, that in the future, our sensing polymers read liquids’ statuses on the fly – in real time. The gamma sterilizable sensors will be integrated into a e.g. a bioreactor or a tube connected to the bioreactor. This multisensing system will also enable to control the consistent quality of drugs or vaccines by measuring in one single device

• temperature
• flow
• turbidity
• conductivity
• pressure and
• pH of liquids.

All measurement results of up to 10 sensors will be transmitted into one App. Thus, quality control will be possible from anywhere via the Internet (IoT).

The first product will be a sensor for the drug side, measuring the purity of the pharmaceutical flowing into the bioreactor. In a second step, we will develop a sensor for the active ingredient side, which will be located in the bioreactor itself. The sensors will be available in different sizes.

One multisensor device for all parameters has many advantages:

• Safety: No need to connect 5 sensors which can lead to leakers.
• Reliable quality: All measurements taken by one device in real time enable the customer to define correlations that indicate challenges in the production.
• Usability, easiness to operate: The sensor is very simple to install and therefore helps operators to avoid mistakes.
• Sustainability: the amount of Chemicals needed for the sensor is drastically reduced compared to “standard silicon-chip based” sensors.

Cost and space efficiency are key factors in clean rooms. The tiny multisensor chip is replacing existing bulky and expensive sensing technologies.