MINI-4-GAS: Automatic gas mixing module for bioreactors

The automatic gas mixing module MINI-4-GAS from LAMBDA Laboratory Instruments offers to mix up to 4 gases per bioreactor according parameter values or flow rate set-points of each gas.
LAMBDA MINI-4-GAS automatic gas module can be purchased as option integrated to LAMBDA MINIFOR bioreactors or as a stand-alone gas mixing unit for laboratory applications. Customize the gas station with individual thermal massflow controllers:

• 2-GAS MIX: Optimal for pO₂control and O₂ enrichment in high cell density microbial fermentation process and biofuel development.
• 3-GAS MIX: Optimal for anaerobic fermentation.
• 4-GAS MIX: Optimal for cell cultures, stem cells and tissue cultures.

For which applications is a gas mixing module for bioreactors used?

For mammalian cell cultures in bioreactors, the LAMBDA MINI-4-GAS gas mixing module with 4 individual gas flow paths is connected to bioreactors for fully automatic pO₂ control with air and oxygen enrichment, pH control with carbon dioxide and constant total gas flow rate with nitrogen as filling gas.
Using the modern control strategies with the 4-gas-mixing-module LAMBDA MINI-4-GAS for stem cell cultures, tissue engineering and mammalian cell cultures with their low specific growth rates cultured for months, the optimal physiologic conditions related to gas supply in bioreactors are maintained easily.

E.g.: Gas-mix for mammalian cell culture:

pO2 control (basic with air, if needed with oxygen enrichment)
pO2 control & pH control (with carbon dioxide) pO2 & pH control & filling gas (nitrogen) for constant total gas flow

Another application is gas mixing with 2 single flows (air and oxygen) for automatic O₂ enrichment to extend the production phases of optimized aerobe high cell density fed-batch of yeast or E. coli in laboratory fermenters.
Controlling the critical process parameters helps to optimize the growth rates as well as to achieve the higher titers during the protein processing and hormone production.

Further applications for gas mixing modules are anaerobe fermentation, where carbon dioxide, methane and other gases are dosed.

What is the big advantage of LAMBDA MINI-4-GAS gas mixing module?

The customisable LAMBDA MINI-4-GAS for free selection of gas types is a high quality and cost-efficient gas mixing module for laboratory bioreactors, which uses LAMBDA MASSFLOW gas flow controllers for the individual control of each single gas flow:

Individual flow rate controls per gas:

LAMBDA MASSFLOW controllers allow individual flow rates per gas or remote control by a parameter / condition within following flow rate ranges:

• LAMBDA MASSFLOW 5000: 0 – 5000 ml/min
• LAMBDA MASSFLOW 500:   0 –   500 ml/min

The gas flow control is independent of pressure and temperature of the gas!
Each LAMBDA MASSFLOW can get disconnected from the gas mixing module and also be used independently, since flow rates can be programmed from the front panel of the laboratory instrument.

LAMBDA MINI-4-GAS PC software: Precise and individual controller

LAMBDA MINI-4-GAS PC software offers a PID controller for each single gas of the automatic gas mixture:

• Easy set-point adjustment
• Low & High flow rate limits for each gas
• Gas flow control is independent of pressure and temperature of the gas

E.g.: Configuration of MINI-4-GAS with Air, O2, CO2 and N2 gas mix: Individual PID controllers change the CO2, Air and O2 flow rates depending on the actual measured values and the set point values. N2 is used as filling gas to maintain a fixed total flow rate (N2 flow rate = set total flow rate - CO2 flow rate - Air flow rate - O2 flow rate)

Complete data acquisition for process optimization and quality assurance

Since the LAMBDA MINI-4-GAS PC software works with digital LAMBDA MASSFLOW modules, the gas mixing system offers not only full remote control but also complete flow data acquisition of each individual gas during the cell growth phase and production phase of biotransformation or other processes in bioreactors.
The data storage is used for the comparison of experiments, bioprocess optimization and calculations of gas transfer rates.

Real-time trends

LAMBDA MINI-4-GAS PC software as add-on for SIAM and PNet offfers real-time trend visualization of each gas during the whole process.

« No additional software licenses are needed for adding further LAMBDA MASSFLOW units to MINIFOR-4-GAS gas mixing software! »