Modern biopharmaceutical manufacturing is increasingly moving toward continuous and intensified processes that can deliver higher productivity while maintaining cell health and process consistency. Perfusion cell culture is one of the key technologies supporting this shift, enabling continuous medium exchange and product harvesting while retaining viable cells within the bioreactor.
At the heart of an effective perfusion system is reliable cell retention. CoPure XperCell™ ATF Hollow Fiber Filter is specifically developed for perfusion cell culture, providing a scalable hollow-fiber solution for applications ranging from research and development to large-scale manufacturing.
Alternating Tangential Flow (ATF) systems use hollow-fiber membranes to retain cells inside a bioreactor while allowing spent medium and target products to pass through the membrane.
Unlike conventional batch or fed-batch processes, perfusion continuously supplies fresh medium and removes spent medium. This creates an environment where cells can remain at high density for extended periods while the desired product is continuously harvested.
XperCell™ ATF uses Cobetter’s self-produced polyethersulfone (PES) hollow-fiber membrane, developed with a focus on low extractables and leachables (E&L) and good biocompatibility.
Hollow-fiber membrane technology offers several advantages for intensified bioprocessing.
Compared with flat-sheet cassette modules, hollow fibers provide a high packing density and large membrane surface area within a compact module. This can help minimise system footprint and hold-up volume—important considerations as processes move toward larger production volumes.
Hollow-fiber designs provide relatively open flow channels and lower shear conditions, making them suitable for handling sensitive biological materials and maintaining cell viability during continuous processing.
Hollow-fiber modules can also be used with feed streams containing relatively high solids or viscosity, supporting applications where conventional filtration approaches may become challenging.
One of the major advantages of the XperCell™ ATF platform is its scalability.
The portfolio supports bioreactor working volumes from 1 L to 1,000 L across the specified ATF 2, ATF 6 and ATF 10 models, while the broader product platform is designed to meet requirements from development through commercial manufacturing.
| Model | Bioreactor Volume | Effective Filtration Area | Exchange Volume | Flow Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATF 2 | 1–10 L | 0.13 m² | 0.1 L | 0.3–1.5 LPM |
| ATF 6 | 50–200 L | 2.5 m² | 1.3 L | 5–20 LPM |
| ATF 10 | 200–1,000 L | 11 m² | 6 L | 20–90 LPM |
The filters feature a 60 cm membrane length, with available membrane specifications of 50 kDa and 0.2 µm, depending on the application.
A key benefit of perfusion is the ability to move beyond the cell-density limitations commonly associated with conventional batch and fed-batch culture.
Continuous nutrient supply and waste removal can support high-density cell cultures while maintaining high cell viability. This makes ATF hollow-fiber technology particularly relevant to processes where maintaining a productive cell population is critical.
XperCell™ ATF can support:
The technology is suited to multiple areas, including the production of antibodies, vaccines, and cell and gene therapy (CGT) products.
Hollow-fiber technology can also support viral vaccine concentration and diafiltration, CGT processing, mRNA purification and buffer exchange, bacterial biomass harvesting, and clarification of cell-culture lysates.
Beyond biopharmaceutical manufacturing, applications can extend to areas such as cultured-meat research and wine-making.
For facilities seeking streamlined manufacturing workflows, XperCell™ ATF is available in a single-use format. Gamma-irradiated, ready-to-use configurations can eliminate complex on-site assembly and sterilization operations.
The hollow-fiber columns are also designed to withstand regular autoclaving procedures in applicable configurations, offering additional flexibility for facilities using reusable processing infrastructure.
XperCell™ ATF is manufactured under an ISO 9001:2015 quality management system, with production carried out in an ISO Class 7 environment.
Each hollow-fiber product undergoes 100% integrity testing and water-flux testing before release. The product specifications also include USP <788>, USP <87>, USP <88>, FDA 21 CFR 177–182, and ADCF-related requirements, with a stated bacterial endotoxin limit of <0.25 EU/mL for a WFI system under USP <85> testing.
Quality documentation, including COA/COQ and validation documentation, is available to support pharmaceutical manufacturing and audit requirements.
As biopharmaceutical manufacturers pursue higher productivity and more continuous manufacturing strategies, dependable cell-retention technology becomes increasingly important.
With PES hollow-fiber construction, scalable ATF configurations, single-use options, and applications spanning high-density seed culture through continuous product harvesting, CoPure XperCell™ ATF Hollow Fiber provides a flexible platform for perfusion cell culture from process development toward commercial manufacturing.
What is hollow-fiber technology used for?
Hollow-fiber membranes are used for cell retention, concentration, diafiltration, buffer exchange, clarification, biomass harvesting, and other continuous bioprocessing applications.
What are the advantages of hollow fiber compared with flat-sheet cassettes?
Hollow fibers offer high packing density, large membrane surface area, relatively low shear, compact equipment footprints, and suitability for high-volume continuous processing.
What is the XperCell™ ATF working-volume range?
The specified ATF 2, ATF 6, and ATF 10 models support bioreactor working volumes of 1–10 L, 50–200 L, and 200–1,000 L, respectively.
Can XperCell™ ATF be used for cell retention in perfusion?
Yes. Cell retention in perfusion culture is one of the primary applications of the XperCell™ ATF hollow-fiber platform.
Is XperCell™ ATF available as a single-use product?
Yes. Single-use configurations are available, including gamma-irradiated, ready-to-use options designed to simplify setup and reduce the need for on-site sterilization.
For Further Enquiry Contact- sales@copure.com
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