The Applikon BioSep in detail.

The Applikon BioSep is a cell-retention device for perfusion bioprocesses — the component that turns a stirred-tank bioreactor running batch or fed-batch into a fully continuous, high-density perfusion system. Unlike mesh-, membrane- or hollow-fibre-based cell-retention technologies, the BioSep uses high-frequency resonant ultrasonic waves to separate cells from the harvest stream — a fundamentally different physical principle that eliminates the fouling, clogging and cell-damage issues that plague filter-based perfusion systems. The result is a perfusion device that runs uninterrupted for several months and weeks, delivers above 95% separation efficiency, and maintains cell viability across the full campaign duration.

Experience and quality in every detail.

The BioSep is engineered by Applikon, the worldwide reference in bioprocess instrumentation, with decades of experience supplying universities, biotech start-ups and biopharmaceutical organisations across the globe. Where most of Applikon’s product family covers vessel platforms — from the MiniBio and Applikon Autoclavable Glass Bioreactor through to the BioBench, BioPilot and BioProduction stainless-steel systems — the BioSep is the perfusion technology that complements all of them. Resea Biotec is the official Swiss distributor and certified service partner.

Easy operation with professional process control.

The BioSep operates on the principle of acoustic resonance. The Resonator Chamber sits in the bioreactor’s perfusion loop, with the cell suspension pumped in by a circulation pump and split into a harvest flow and a return flow. Inside the chamber, high-frequency resonant ultrasonic waves generate acoustic forces that aggregate the suspended cells and hold them stationary against the flow — clarifying the harvest stream while letting the planar aggregates of cells recycle back to the bioreactor for continued cultivation.

The mechanical implication is significant. There is no filter, no mesh, no membrane in the cell path. The acoustic field does the work that physical media do in conventional systems — and because nothing in the device traps cells against a surface, the BioSep cannot foul, cannot clog, and does not exert the shear and pressure forces that damage cells in filter-based perfusion. The same chamber that operates on day one continues to support stable separation performance on day 75 without interruption for cleaning or maintenance.

Available BioSep sizes:

The BioSep is available in three sizes to match the working volume of your bioreactor — from bench-scale process development through to pilot and small-commercial production.

1 BioSep 10 L — bench-scale — working volume 1–10 L.
2 BioSep 50 L — pilot-scale — working volume 5–50 L.
3 BioSep 200 L — pilot and small-commercial — working volume up to 200 L.

All three BioSep sizes share the same acoustic-resonance technology, the same operating principle and the same control architecture — so a perfusion process developed on the BioSep 10 L scales onto the BioSep 50 L and 200 L without changing the perfusion fundamentals.

Attributes	Applikon BioSep Perfusion System 10L	Applikon BioSep Perfusion System 50L	Applikon BioSep Perfusion System 200L
L1 – Core Physical & Construction
Volume	10 L	50 L	200 L
Working volume range	1 – 10 L	5 – 50 L	up to 200 L
Footprint	130 x 170 x 100 mm	130 x 170 x 100 mm	400 x 450 x 135 mm
SIP / CIP capability	No	Yes	Yes
Cooling method	Air	Water	Water
L2 – System Properties
Max perfusion rate (vessel volumes/day)	10 L/day	50 L/day	200 L/day

L1 – Core Physical & Construction

Cell Type	Cell Culture and Microbial
Technology Platform	Multi-Use
Material	Stainless Steel
Autoclavable	Yes
Max operating temperature	130°C
Max sterilization temperature	130 °C
Max operating pressure	4 bar

L2 – System Properties

Retention method	Acoustic
Backflush capability	Yes

L4 – Regulatory, Compliance & Lifecycle

IQ/OQ/PQ support	Yes
Warranty period	12 months
Validation documentation available	Yes

Research & Process Development

The BioSep converts any existing bioreactor — autoclavable, single-use, or stainless steel — into a high-density perfusion system, regardless of manufacturer or scale. At lab scale (1–10 L working volume), it enables researchers to develop and optimize continuous cultivation processes with separation efficiency exceeding 95%. Unlike membrane or mesh-based retention systems, its acoustic resonance technology is fully non-fouling and non-clogging — eliminating the most common sources of disruption during perfusion process development.

GMP Transition

The BioSep is available in GMP-ready configurations with full IQ/OQ/PQ support, complete material traceability, and validation documentation — built to cGMP standards throughout. SIP and CIP capability on the 10 L and 50 L versions, combined with a stainless steel construction rated to 4 bar and 130°C, ensures the system meets the documentation and cleanliness requirements for transitioning perfusion processes into regulated manufacturing environments.

GMP Manufacturing

Scaling to working volumes up to 200 L, the BioSep supports regulated continuous manufacturing at production scale. Perfusion cultures enabled by the BioSep can run for over 6 months — delivering significantly higher cell densities, increased production yields, and improved purity and potency of the final biopharmaceutical product compared to batch or fed-batch processes. PAT-enabled and compatible with the full range of bioprocess control platforms, it integrates directly into any regulated production environment.

CDMOs

For contract development and manufacturing organizations producing biologics under continuous perfusion conditions, the BioSep offers a scalable, cGMP-compliant cell retention solution across all production scales. Its compatibility with bioreactors from any manufacturer, combined with backflush capability on larger configurations and validated material traceability documentation, makes it well suited to the flexibility and compliance demands of CDMO manufacturing agreements.

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Acoustic perfusion — beyond mesh and membrane

Most perfusion devices use a physical separation medium — mesh filters, hollow-fibre membranes, or tangential-flow filtration cartridges. They work, but they share a structural weakness: cells contact the medium, and over time the medium fouls, clogs, or shears the cells passing through it. Long campaigns become a balance between perfusion uptime and the moment the filter fails, and most filter-based perfusion programmes plan around 30–60-day campaign windows for that reason.

The BioSep doesn’t have this problem because it doesn’t have a filter. High-frequency resonant ultrasonic waves generate stationary nodes that aggregate cells in mid-stream, with the harvest fluid flowing freely past them. Nothing physical traps the cells; nothing physical can foul. Campaigns running several weeks and months are routine, and the gentle acoustic forces preserve cell viability across the full duration — meaning higher productivity, higher product quality and lower risk of campaign-end failure compared to filter-based alternatives.

For applications where product quality, campaign uptime and process stability matter more than capital cost, acoustic perfusion is structurally the better technology. The BioSep is the most widely deployed acoustic-perfusion system in bioprocessing.

Built for cGMP, validated for long campaigns

The BioSep is proven under cGMP conditions — rigorously tested and validated for compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice standards. The acoustic-resonance principle delivers separation efficiency above 95% consistently across the full campaign, with continuous longterm cultivation in deployed production environments. Because the device is filter-free, there are no replacement filters in the validation lifecycle — the same Resonator Chamber that’s qualified at start-up runs the entire campaign.

For biopharmaceutical production, cell and gene therapy manufacturing, vaccine and viral-vector workflows, that translates into shorter validation cycles, fewer change controls and a more predictable cost profile across the campaign. Bioreactor-agnostic compatibility is the other operational advantage: the BioSep integrates with any bioreactor brand, so the perfusion technology travels with your process even if your bioreactor platform changes between facilities.

Workflows

What is the BioSep workflow?

The BioSep workflow runs in three phases.
Integrate. Connect the BioSep to your existing bioreactor through the perfusion loop — no platform-specific adapter required, regardless of bioreactor brand. The Resonator Chamber sits between the harvest line and the return line, with the circulation pump driving cell suspension through the chamber. The BioSep pairs natively with the full Applikon bioreactor family — MiniBio and Applikon Autoclavable Glass Bioreactor at lab scale, BioBench and BioPilot at bench and pilot scale, and the AppliFlex ST single-use range across all volumes — as well as with any third-party bioreactor where high-density perfusion is required. Resea Biotec’s specialists work through the integration with you to match the BioSep size to your bioreactor working volume.

Operate. Run the perfusion campaign at your target cell density. Acoustic forces aggregate cells inside the Resonator Chamber, harvest fluid clarifies and exits the system, and planar cell aggregates recycle back to the bioreactor for continued cultivation. The control architecture integrates with your existing bioprocess controller — no separate operating environment to learn. The BioSep supports the full range of high-density perfusion applications: monoclonal antibody production, viral-vector manufacturing, vaccine cell-culture, stem-cell expansion, regenerative medicine, mRNA processes and cell-and-gene therapy bioprocesses. The continuous nutrient supply and continuous waste removal that perfusion enables drive enhanced cell densities, longer culture durations and improved product quality compared to batch or fed-batch operation.

Sustain. Run for the full campaign duration — typically months rather than weeks. Because there is no filter to foul or clog, there is no scheduled maintenance window inside the campaign. The same chamber that operates on day one continues to support stable separation performance on day 75 without interruption for cleaning or maintenance. Where a stirred-tank bioreactor on its own delivers a cell-culture environment, a stirred-tank bioreactor paired with a BioSep delivers a continuous bioprocessing platform.

Why use the BioSep?

Resonant ultrasonic technology — non-fouling, non-clogging perfusion with no filter to replace and no membrane to foul.
Above 95% separation efficiency, sustained for several months — proven under cGMP conditions, validated for clinical and commercial bioprocesses.
Full range of high-density applications — monoclonal antibodies, viral vectors, vaccines, stem-cell expansion, regenerative medicine, mRNA and cell-and-gene therapy.
Bioreactor-agnostic compatibility — integrates with any bioreactor brand, not just Applikon, so the perfusion technology travels with your process.
Cell-friendly operation — gentle acoustic forces preserve cell viability across the full campaign, supporting higher product quality than mesh and membrane alternatives.

Spec your BioSep with Resea Biotec

The Applikon BioSep is a cell-retention perfusion device using acoustic-resonance technology, available in 10 L, 50 L and 200 L sizes — covering the full path from bench-scale process development through to pilot and small-commercial perfusion production. Non-fouling, non-clogging, with above 95% separation efficiency sustained for longterm runs and full bioreactor-agnostic compatibility across the Applikon family (MiniBio, Applikon Autoclavable Glass Bioreactor, AppliFlex ST, BioBench, BioPilot) and any third-party stirred-tank platform.

Perfusion is where bioprocess uptime, product quality and campaign economics meet — and the choice of cell-retention technology shapes all three. Resea Biotec is Switzerland’s official Applikon distributor and certified service partner — based in Recherswil, supporting customers across Switzerland with local technical support and on-site service.

Talk to our team and we’ll spec the right BioSep size to match your bioreactor, support the integration into your existing perfusion loop, and stay on hand for application and maintenance support throughout the system’s life. Whether you’re running your first perfusion campaign, scaling an established process from bench through pilot, or extending campaign duration on an existing stirred-tank platform — our specialists work the configuration through with you end to end.

Applikon BioSep — Perfusion device datasheet.

Specifications, working volumes, separation efficiency and integration overview for the BioSep 10 L, 50 L and 200 L sizes.

PDF • 2.1 MB

Download

Applikon BioSep — Application brochure.

Real-world perfusion applications, technology background, performance data and case studies across cGMP-grade biopharmaceutical, cell-and-gene therapy and stem-cell production.

PDF • 5.7 MB

Download

Applikon BioSep Perfusion System – Vendor-Independent Cell Retention for Any Bioreactor.

The Applikon BioSep in detail.

Experience and quality in every detail.

Easy operation with professional process control.