Centrifugal Filter Offers High Speed Purification

A new ultra-centrifugal unit provides ultra-fast high purification and concentration of proteins, which can be valuable prognostic indicators of specific abnormalities such as tumor cells.

The European Union's Council of Ministers has granted the Conformité Européene (CE) mark to the Amicon Ultra-15 centrifugal filter device (10K molecular weight cutoff), a product of the Millipore Corporation (Billerica, MA, USA).

Proteins of interest can be present in low abundance in biologic fluids and require concentration prior to clinical laboratory analysis. These include macromolecules found in human specimens such as serum, urine, and spinal fluid. Using the new device, sample volumes up to 15 ml can be concentrated in 10–15 minutes with negligible loss of sample. The Ultracel regenerated cell membrane minimizes adsorption of the macromolecules and provides high recovery of fully functional proteins--typically more than 90%.

Compatible with most filter types, Amicon utra-15 centrifugal filters allow for direct pipettor access, eliminating the need for an extra processing step. The device is available in packs of eight, 24, and 96 filter units, which are supplied assembled with centrifuge tubes and caps. Millipore also offers the CE-marked Amicon Ultra-4 centrifugal device for sample volumes up to 4 ml.



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