Breaking News: 908 Devices and Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies have partnered to add online analytical capabilities to the Quantum Flex cell expansion system.

908 Devices, a pioneer in specialized handheld and benchtop devices for chemical and biochemical analysis, has announced a collaboration with Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies (Terumo BCT), a medical technology company, to implement online monitoring of critical process parameters in Terumo BCT’s Quantum Flex cell expansion system. The combination of the two companies’ automation technologies will help advance the development of life-saving cell and gene therapies by providing monitoring and control over one of the largest components in cell therapy research and manufacturing.

Increasingly, researchers developing cell and gene therapies are turning to automation to enhance manufacturing efficiency, streamline workflows, and reduce costs. However, today’s quality-control requirements demand that researchers spend hours in cleanrooms performing manual operations—operations that must be carried out without errors or contamination, rather than merely responding to problems after they arise.

908 Devices is introducing its online glucose and lactate analyzer, MAVEN (Figure 1), to Terumo BCT’s Quantum Flex, enabling cell and gene therapy development customers to monitor and control critical process parameters in cell cultures online—without entering a cleanroom or performing manual sampling. This helps reduce the risk of contamination, save operator time, and enhance their understanding of the process.

MAVEN can monitor online the concentrations of glucose and lactic acid in bioreactors. It employs a technical principle based on dialysis membranes and biological (enzyme) sensors. Specifically, the selective dialysis membrane ensures that the sterile environment inside the reactor remains isolated from the non-strictly sterile transport buffer system, allowing only small molecules of glucose and lactic acid to pass through. These molecules are then transported via the buffer solution to the measurement unit, achieving non-invasive analysis without the need for sampling. The other key technological component—the measurement unit—utilizes biological (enzyme) sensors that exhibit high specificity toward the target analytes and maintain effective measurement accuracy even at low concentrations.

Figure 1: Maven ( https://908devices.com/products/maven/ )

“We’re proud to partner with a leading innovator in cell therapy technology to reach the next level of integration in biopharmaceutical processes,” said Kevin J. Knopp, CEO and co-founder of 908 Devices. “We’re committed to providing equipment that empowers scientists to gain insights that reduce costs and accelerate progress.”

Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is a company dedicated to medical technology products and services, serving as a global integrated solution provider in the fields of blood components, therapeutic apheresis, and cell therapy technologies. The company offers automated cell therapy production equipment such as the QUANTUM FLEX cell expansion system, the FINIA filling and finishing system, and the TSCD-Q aseptic connection machine.

The Terumo BCT Quantum Flex Cell Expansion System (Figure 2) is a compact, automated system designed to meet the needs of cell therapy developers throughout the entire commercialization process—from process development to clinical manufacturing. The Quantum Flex helps reduce contamination risks and enables reproducible, scalable processes. It is compatible with a wide range of suspension cells, adherent cells, viral vectors, and exosomes.

Figure 2: Quantum Flex Cell Expansion System ( https://www.terumobct.com/en/quantum )

Kathie Schneider, Global Commercial Head of Cell Therapy Technologies at Terumo BCT, stated: “Combining our Quantum Flex platform with online monitoring from 908 Devices will help cell and gene therapies reduce time-consuming manual steps, thereby lowering production costs and risks. We will continue to collaborate with industry experts to further enhance our comprehensive solutions and address industry challenges.”

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