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Method and apparatus for the determination of biomass in a suspension, such as a culture, in ‘real’time and a fermentation process using the method. In the method the electrical capacitance of the suspension is measured and from the measurement the volume fraction of the suspension enclosed by the c

Method and apparatus for the determination of biomass in a suspension, such as a culture, in ‘real’time and a fermentation process using the method. In the method the electrical capacitance of the suspension is measured and from the measurement the volume fraction of the suspension enclosed by the cytoplasmic membranes of the cells (biovolume) is determined.

대표청구항 ▼

A fermentation process utilizing a culture comprising a suspending fluid and cells, said process comprising the steps of: (a) generating a signal dependent on the dielectric permittivity of the culture in the bulk of the culture using electrical capacitance measurement, at a suitable frequency, betw

A fermentation process utilizing a culture comprising a suspending fluid and cells, said process comprising the steps of: (a) generating a signal dependent on the dielectric permittivity of the culture in the bulk of the culture using electrical capacitance measurement, at a suitable frequency, between electrodes mutually spaced in said culture or a sample thereof; (b) providing an indication if the permittivity dependent signal differs from a predetermined value or falls outside a predetermined range, and/or (c) altering the value of a process parameter to return said signal towards the predetermined value or range, said predetermined frequency being such that the dielectric permittivity of the material in the bulk of the culture between the electrodes depends on the volume fraction of the culture enclosed by the cytoplasmic membranes of the cells.