Revolutionizing mAb Processing with the New Sartocon^® Q Hydrosart^® 30 kDa mAb TFF Cassette

Tangential flow filtration (TFF) is a core unit operation in modern biomanufacturing and plays a critical role wherever biomolecules need to be concentrated and conditioned gently and efficiently.

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) manufacturers are under pressure to increase product concentration as a means of reducing volumes and costs. Higher concentrations lead to more viscous solutions, which challenge TFF-based ultrafiltration | diafiltration (UF | DF) steps through reduced permeate flux and increased pressures.

At the same time, processes must deliver high yields with shorter processing times to improve cost-effectiveness and throughput. This translates into clear requirements for TFF consumables. Membranes and cassettes must maintain high flux at elevated viscosities, support robust operating windows, deliver reliable, predictable performance, and perform across extended lifetimes.
 

New TFF cassette optimized for final mAb concentration

The introduction of the Sartocon^® Q Hydrosart^® 30 kDa mAb TFF cassette marks a significant advancement in the field of mAb processing by enabling more efficient, scalable, and sustainable manufacturing.

The cassette provides 30 – 50% higher water flux rates and features a new screen design (Q-Screen), supporting higher final concentrations, increasing final product titers, and accelerating processing. The new membrane is based on our well-established Hydrosart^® membrane, which is virtually non-fouling and delivers high yields and stable flux and retention performance over long operating lifetimes.

The new Q-Screen design is optimized for higher viscosities (e.g., 30 cP at 250 LMH) and is manufactured without the intentional use of PFAS-containing materials, aligning with sustainability initiatives.
 

Enhanced process efficiency

The combination of high flux rates and optimized screen design significantly decreases processing times compared to other high-viscosity screens in the market (Figure 1).  

Figure 1. Processing time for the same feed stream using different cassette types. The new Sartocon^® Q Hydrosart^® 30 kDa mAb TFF cassette outperforms current screen types and significantly reduces process time.  

To support flexibility in bioprocessing, the new cassette is available in both multi-use formats (86 cm² – 3.09 m²) and as self-contained units for aseptic processing (0.13m² - 12.36m²). The self-contained units are delivered sterile and ready-to-use for multi-product facilities.
 

Scalability and consistency  

With tight development timelines and often limited material, TFF solutions must scale seamlessly from low-volume studies to commercial manufacturing while preserving performance, including processing time.  

Scalability studies using different formats and sizes of the Sartocon^® Q Hydrosart^® 30 kDa mAb — from development scale (86 cm²) on the Ambr^® Crossflow system to large-scale single-use manufacturing (6.18 m²) on the Sartoflow^® 5000 system — show that the cassette demonstrates consistent performance across all steps, remaining within the target processing time of one operator shift (8 h; Figure 2). Across all four scales, final concentrations of ~230 g/L and average yields of 99.2% were consistently achieved.
Download our application note for more details.

Figure 2. Processing time from development (86 cm²) to manufacturing (6.18 m²) scales, showing consistent performance of the Sartocon^® Q Hydrosart^® 30 kDa mAb TFF cassette.
 

Sustainability and longevity  

In line with global sustainability goals and potential regulatory changes, the Sartocon^® Q Hydrosart^® 30 kDa mAb TFF cassette was developed without the intentional use of PFAS. In this context longevity is an important feature, reducing costs while also minimizing waste and environmental impact.  

Our Hydrosart^® membrane is known to be virtually non-fouling, translating into high yields and simplifying cleaning procedures. Starting flux rates are typically recovered quickly using low NaOH concentrations or a buffer flush. Even under more demanding conditions (e.g., 1 M NaOH or temperatures up to 40 °C), Hydrosart^® membranes remain stable and maintain consistent flux and retention performance over extended use, with up to 300 hours of sanitization demonstrated (Figure 3). 

Figure 3. Flux recovery over time during repeated cleaning for Sartocon^® Q Hydrosart^® 30 kDa mAb TFF cassettes compared with a competitor. Sartocon^® Q maintains high flux over extended cleaning, while the competitor shows a gradual decline.
 

Summary  

As the biopharma industry faces increasing demands for higher final product concentrations and faster process times, the Sartocon^® Q Hydrosart^® 30 kDa mAb TFF cassette stands out as a solution for more efficient, robust, and flexible mAb processing: 

• Enhanced efficiency: 30% higher flux rates while supporting higher final concentrations.  

• Robust scalability: Scalable from development to large-scale manufacturing. 

• Reliable processing and long lifetimes: Consistent performance after cleaning, storage, and depyrogenation. 
   

Ready to Learn More?

Download our application note, and watch our webinar, to discover how the Sartocon^® Q Hydrosart^® 30 kDa mAb TFF cassette can boost your mAb process efficiency.