Saving Time With Disposable Filtration Units Versus Reusable Filtration Equipment

The procedure and handling steps for microbial testing by membrane filtration—including the preparation of different nutrient media types—is a crucial time and cost factor in microbiological quality control (QC) labs. A common test volume for an average size beverage company usually ranges from 150–200 filtrations per day. There are several single-use products available on the market that save time and optimize workflows.

A dedicated analysis of several equipment options can help determine whether implementing disposable filtration units may improve workflows by saving considerable time. A study was performed to quantify the time saved by using single-use filtration units compared to reusable stainless-steel filtration equipment in combination with individually packed sterile membrane filters. The study focuses on typical applications within the beverage market segment. Typical process steps within microbial QC are:

media preparation
equipment cleaning
sanitization
sterilization
filtration procedure itself