Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about our product? We'd love to hear them, feel free to send us emails, connect on LinkedIn, or give us a call. Or, see if your question is already answered below!
Software
Q: Does your software connects to a remote server and send data to it?
A: No. The entire system is contained within your lab by default. If you want to access the data remotely, your own IT department or trusted service provider can set up secure VPN or port forwarding for you.
Q: Does your system needs internet connection to work?
A: No. The entire system runs on an isolated LAN and does not connect directly to the internet. If you want to access them outside the LAN, ask your IT department to set up a secure gateway with firewall.
Q: Do I have to pay for the software every year? How do I update the software?
A: Your license is perpetual and includes life-time free upgrades for new features and capabilities. We upload new versions to our servers where you can download from when it is convenient to you.
Q: How many reactors can a single computer control?
A: Practically unlimited. We use a flexible distributed control architecture where the database, data logger and user program can be deployed to different hardware. However, for every 8 reactors, you may want an operator station for convenience.
Q: Do I have to use your computer?
A: No, we'd rather not to ship anything you can get locally. A moderately powerful laptop or desktop PC should be sufficient for small systems. But high-throughput systems, multiple network interface cards and lots of RAM are needed. We will tell you the system requirements once we know the throughput you are looking at.
Q: Does you software support user access control?
A: Absolutely. We have 7 levels of built-in access control, and a Strict mode as well as a Sloppy mode of requirements to meet you specific needs.
Q: Does you control software support 'cascade'?
A: Absolutely. Actually, we have something much better. We call it "5-point nonlinear controller output scaling" with an intuitive dynamic graphical interface to assist you to set up the complicated control strategies. For more information, check out this post.
Q: Does you control software support 'triggers'?
A: Absolutely. Our PC software has built-in APC (advanced process control) functions where you can set up a complex control strategy with a few clicks of the mouse. Contact us for a demo.
Q: Does you control software support exponential feeding?
A: Absolutely. In addition to that, we also support time-series based feeding which can be triggered by certain events, e.g., DO spike, pH spike. You can do even more complicated feeding using our AI-assisted UDF (user-defined functions).
Q: Does you control software support export to CSV files?
A: Absolutely. You can also customize the parameters you want to include in the report, select the time interval, etc. We can also export PDF reports. However, we strongly recommend taking advantage of our data access APIs.
Hardware
Q: What is your lead time?
A: Typically 50 days for bench-top reactors without too much customization. Shipping by air takes another week or so.
Q: Do you provide training and installation services?
A: Yes we do. We have our own overseas offices and local partners, but most training can be done remotely unless you are very new to bioprocess development and have never used bioreactors before.
Q: Is my autoclave big enough?
A: Ask us for the detailed specs of the vessel you are interested in. The dimensions are included in the specs sheet.
Q: Can your system run under pressure?
A: Yes, even our glass vessels (thick-wall) can withstand 15 psig (100 kPag) pressure or higher. But do check with your lab manager or safety personals. You will also need higher supply pressure for the MFCs to work properly.
Q: Where do I get the probes?
A: We encourage you to get them from your local vendors. We support most main stream probes. Check with us before you buy.
Q: Do you have vent gas analyzers (or biomass probes)?
A: We don't make or sell them, but we can integrate any vent gas analyzer of your choice.
Q: Do your reactors have load cells (balances)?
A: Yes, make sure you include them in your order as retro-fitting is not always possible due to our compact design.
Q: Can I get backup vessels?
A: Of course. Include those in your order or ask us for them later.
Q: Can I change the impeller types?
A: Yes, the impellers can be adjusted, replaced and removed easily to meet specific process requirements. Same for the baffles.
Q: Can I get glass vessels now and single-use vessels later?
A: Yes, they are interchangeable.
Q: What if I need spare parts or replacement parts?
A: We stock those parts in our factory in Shanghai. Shipping to major areas in the world by DHL normally takes 3 days. You will be surprised how fast it is. Or, as we use mostly off-the-shelf parts to build our systems, you probably can get them from your local vendors as well.