Turnkey System for Bacteria Detection

 By Lucas Lee

 In September 2011, Pall Corporation opens a center of excellence in Singapore. The center provides advanced filtration and purification support to hospitals, blood centers, and biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies. The 430 sqm center is a showcase for Pall's full range of life sciences equipment and disposable solutions. These include single-use systems (SUS), depth filter systems, Stax systems, tangential flow filtration (TFF) systems, chromatography systems, process monitoring, sterile filters, and others.
The center was designed by Pall Scientific and Laboratory Services (SLS) to lead customers through the sequential stages of process flow. It incorporates a series of SLS laboratories dedicated to specific stages of process development, including disposable media preparation and transfer, upstream processing, cell harvesting and product separation, column packing, purification and polishing, virus reduction, and formulation. The center also offers a simulated cGMP training environment and contains a state-of-the-art seminar and training theatre.
"The Singapore Life Sciences Centre of Excellence consolidates training and technical services, making it unparalleled as a resource for biotechnology companies seeking solutions for their process challenges. Biotechnology drugs and biologically derived vaccines are filtration and purification intensive. Pall is singularly well positioned to meet the growing market demand for this expertise," said Eric Garnier, President, Pall Asia.

 Detecting bacteria in platelets
Pall is a leading provider of separation systems and single-use filtration and purification technologies. Pall's technologies are also used to help protect patients from hospital-acquired infections and to collect and process blood components. One of Pall's medical devices, eBDS, can make hospitals and blood centers detect bacteria in platelets.
The Pall eBDS is a total solution for detection of bacteria for quality control testing in leukocyte reduced apheresis and whole blood-derived platelets in plasma. This complete turnkey system includes sample set, incubator and agitator, oxygen analyzer with bar code scanner, and Pall Data, a data management software.
The sample set provides a functionally closed system for sampling platelet product and requires no additional reagents. It is designed for enhanced bacteria recovery and improved oxygen sampling. The oxygen analyzer is a rapid-read device that measures the oxygen content in the head space air of the sample pouch, compares the level to a pre-programmed threshold value, and provides a clear, easily interpreted pass/fail result. Together with the attached bar code scanner, the oxygen analyzer allows automatic data entry and generates a data string for electronic capture. The incubator and agitator create an environment designed to amplify the growth of bacteria. Platelet agitation accelerates bacteria growth and oxygen equilibration between the head space air and fluid. The sample set pouches are incubated at 35°C, the standard temperature used in microbiology for culturing. Agitation increases gas exchange within the sample pouch and enhances growth of bacteria. Three models of incubator and agitator combinations are available to address capacities and workflow. The oxygen sampling stand is a device that holds the sample set pouch upright and secure during oxygen measurement. Pall Data is a software package that captures the output from the oxygen analyzer and allows information to be presented in a user-defined report.
The testing principle behind the eBDS is that it measures the oxygen content of air within the sample pouch as a surrogate marker for bacteria. The oxygen analyzer is used to measure the percentageAir More Uptempo