Malema sensors introduce first ‘single-use’ flowmeters for bio-pharmaceuticals

Malema Sensors have introduced the ‘first’ single-use flowmeters for the bio-pharmaceutical industry: SumoFlo.

The new sensors are able to measure flow rates from 50gm/min up to 100kg/min with accuracies within 1% of reading. Created from polyether ether ketone (PEEK), flowmeters are certified to meet USP Class VI, USP 661, and USP 788 biocompatibility testing standards, as well as European CE standards.

Malema’s new flowmeters are based on the Coriolis mass flow measuring principle, in which a vibrating tube is used to measure fluid flow properties. The company claims in a statement that unlike ultrasonic and other types of sensors, their new SumoFlo flowmeters’ accuracy is unaffected by variations in a fluid’s physical and chemical properties, or temperature.

SumoFlo flowmeters are designed to deliver a single-use flow measurement solution for bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing applications such as tangential and depth filtration, buffer dilution, cell cultures and cell harvesting, chromatography, hygienic fluids with varying density or viscosity.

According to Malema: “Media-specific or on-site calibration is not required. Calibration parameters for each sensor are stored on a radiation-tolerant memory chip allowing any sensor to be interchanged with any SumoFlo electronics transmitter without affecting measurement accuracy. This allows for maximum flexibility and minimal down-time when removing a sensor from service and installing a replacement.”

Over the last twelve months SumoFlo has been under evaluation by several OEM and bio-pharmaceutical manufacturers. Now, the company has formally released the flowmeters onto the market.