Particle Counters for Protein Solutions

PAMAS (Germany), focused on particle measuring and analysing systems, has developed a laboratory particle analysing system to measure small volumes of higher viscosity samples (e.g. protein solutions). PAMAS develops, manufactures and distributes automatic particle counters for liquids including water, oil, hydraulic fluids or pharmaceutical solutions. In the past, analysing protein solutions had been impossible due to the large sample vessel incorporated in PAMAS laboratory instruments. Protein solutions and other pharmaceutical liquids are usually only available in very small sample volumes. As a consequence, PAMAS upgraded its PAMAS SBSS laboratory instrument and equipped it with an optional small pressure vessel container. With the help of this new feature, small sample volumes of 1 to 5 millilitre of high viscosity liquids are now able to be analysed.

For the cleanliness control of viscous liquids, PAMAS offers the PAMAS SBSS particle analysing system. This user-friendly laboratory instrument offers full flexibility as virtually all measuring parameters can be pre-set and adapted to the specific application by the user.

The main benefit of the PAMAS SBSS laboratory instrument is the integrated pressure container. This sample vessel is used to create either a high pressure or vacuum atmosphere that is safely enclosed within the locked container. High pressure is applied to transport high viscous liquids through the sensor for measurement, whereas the vacuum mode removes gas bubbles out of the sample.

Until now, the cylindrical pressure container had been manufactured with a sample vessel volume of one litre (height: 20 cm, diameter: 8 cm). In this vessel, sample volumes of 30 to 1000 ml were analysed. With the newly developed smaller pressure container, sample volumes of 1 to 5 millilitre can be analysed.

The PAMAS SBSS laboratory analysing system is simple and easy to use: Equipped with an integrated preadjustable sampling mode, the system analyses the sample directly out of the sample container, thus removing the need for the sample to be transferred before measurement which might falsify results due to cross contamination. The required operating effort of the user is minimal and – after preconfiguration – can be reduced to just the exchange of sample containers.

Due to the volumetric measuring cell principle of PAMAS sensors, 100% of the sample volume is analysed and every single particle passing the sensor cell is detected. This guarantees highest measuring accuracy and repeatability of the measuring results even in super clean fluids. Depending on the required measuring and calibration ranges, the sensors are able to detect particle sizes between 0.5 and 800 µm. The particle sensors are calibrated according to the calibration standard ISO 21501.