Product description
Custom single-use bottle assemblies combine a plastic process bottle with tubing, closures, vent filters, connectors and other fluid-path components for pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications.
Standard media bottle configurations are available in PETG and polycarbonate from 30 mL to 2 L, including sealed bottles, two-port assemblies and three-port assemblies. For applications outside these standard formats, custom bottle systems can be configured using alternative bottle types, materials, tubing and process connections.
Bottle assemblies can be used for media and buffer preparation, liquid storage, aseptic sampling, intermediate-product handling, cell culture, transfer, filling and other controlled fluid-handling processes.
Technical overview
A bottle assembly provides a defined interface between the process container and the surrounding fluid path. Depending on the configuration, the closure can incorporate a feed line, dip tube, vent line, sterile connector, tubing plug or additional process connections.
Standardised PETG and polycarbonate assemblies provide practical options for common media, buffer and biological-liquid applications. More specialised systems can be engineered around different bottles, flasks, vials, carboys or chemically resistant fluoropolymer containers.
Assemblies can therefore range from a simple sterile media bottle to a multi-port bottle system or multi-container manifold.
Operating principle
The bottle acts as the receiving, storage or supply container within the fluid path. Liquid is introduced or removed through tubing connected to ports in the bottle closure.
A typical two-port configuration contains one process feed line and one vent line. The feed line can extend into the bottle as a dip tube, allowing fluid to be transferred into or withdrawn from the container.
The vent line allows pressure equalisation during filling or emptying and can incorporate a hydrophobic vent filter to maintain a controlled gas interface.
Three-port configurations provide an additional process line and can be used where two separate feed, transfer or connection points are required.
Custom assemblies can incorporate additional tubing, connectors, filters, sampling interfaces and manifolds according to the process.
Material options
Standard bottle assemblies are available in PETG and polycarbonate (PC).
Their operating-temperature ranges differ:
- PETG: approximately -40°C to +60°C
- Polycarbonate: approximately -80°C to +121°C
PETG is well suited to common media, buffer and liquid-storage applications, while polycarbonate provides a wider temperature range for applications involving low-temperature storage or suitable autoclave processing.
Additional custom container materials can include:
- Polypropylene (PP)
- PFA
- FEP
- ETFE
- Other application-specific polymer containers
Tubing material is selected separately from the bottle. Common configurations use platinum-cured silicone or weldable TPE tubing.
Available micron ratings
The bottle itself does not have a micron rating. However, bottle assemblies can incorporate filtration components such as vent filters.
Standard media bottle configurations are available with a 0.2 µm hydrophobic PTFE vent filter.
Alternative vent or process filters can be specified separately where a different membrane material, filter size or retention rating is required.
Design and construction
Bottle assemblies can be selected from standard media-bottle configurations or designed as application-specific fluid paths.
Standard bottle volumes
Standard PETG bottle volumes include:
- 30 mL
- 60 mL
- 125 mL
- 250 mL
- 500 mL
- 1 L
Standard polycarbonate bottle volumes include:
- 125 mL
- 250 mL
- 500 mL
- 1 L
- 2 L
Other bottle sizes and container formats can be incorporated into custom assemblies where required.
Sealed bottle configurations
Bottles can be supplied with a sealing screw cap where no tubing ports are required. This provides a simple single-use container for preparation, handling or storage.
Two-port bottle assemblies
A typical two-port configuration contains:
- One feed or transfer line
- One vent line
- An internal dip tube
- A hydrophobic vent filter
Standard feed-line configurations can use 1/4" ID platinum-cured silicone tubing with a process connector or 1/4" ID weldable TPE tubing with a tubing closure.
Standard vent configurations use flexible tubing connected to a 0.2 µm hydrophobic PTFE vent filter.
Three-port bottle assemblies
Three-port configurations provide two feed or process lines together with a dedicated filtered vent line.
These assemblies are useful where separate inlet and outlet connections, multiple transfer paths or additional process interfaces are required.
Custom bottle assemblies
Custom configurations can extend beyond standard PETG and polycarbonate media bottles.
Available container concepts can include:
- Standard process bottles
- Sampling bottles
- Erlenmeyer flasks
- Centrifuge bottles
- Vials
- Carboys
- PFA bottles
- FEP bottles
- Other fluoropolymer containers
The final configuration can include one container or several bottles connected as part of a manifold system.
Tubing and connection options
Bottle assemblies can incorporate:
- Platinum-cured silicone tubing
- Weldable TPE tubing
- Sterile and aseptic connectors
- Quick disconnect couplings
- Tubing plugs
- Hose barb fittings
- Sanitary Tri-Clamp connections
- Vent filters
- Sampling connections
- Additional process filters
Sterilisation
Standard PETG and polycarbonate bottle assemblies can be supplied gamma sterilised using an irradiation range of approximately 25–45 kGy.
PETG configurations are intended for gamma sterilisation and are not suitable for autoclaving.
Suitable polycarbonate configurations can also be autoclaved at approximately 121°C.
For custom bottle assemblies, sterilisation compatibility must be evaluated across the complete container, cap, tubing, filter and connector configuration.
Quality and documentation
Depending on the final bottle and assembly configuration, available quality and conformity information can include:
- USP Class VI material conformity
- USP <87> Cytotoxicity
- USP <88> Biological Reactivity
- USP <788> Particulate Matter
- USP <85> Bacterial Endotoxins
- FDA CFR 21 material conformity where applicable
- Animal-derived component statements
- BSE / TSE statements
- Certificate of Conformance
- Certificate of Analysis or Certificate of Quality where applicable
- Batch traceability
- Gamma sterilisation documentation
Exact certificates and conformity statements depend on the materials and components selected for the final bottle assembly.
Typical applications
- Cell culture media preparation and storage
- Buffer preparation and storage
- Reagent preparation
- Biological liquid storage
- Liquid transfer
- Aseptic sampling
- Closed process sampling
- Intermediate-product storage
- Cell culture processes
- Media fill applications
- Fill & Finish
- Process manifolds
- Waste collection
- Low-temperature storage
- Freeze-thaw applications with suitable container materials
Key benefits
- Standard volume options: defined PETG and polycarbonate bottle sizes provide a practical starting point for common media and buffer applications.
- Multiple port configurations: sealed, two-port and three-port designs cover common fluid-handling requirements.
- Flexible material selection: PETG and polycarbonate are available as standard, with PP and fluoropolymer containers available for custom applications.
- Integrated vent filtration: standard configurations can incorporate a 0.2 µm hydrophobic PTFE vent filter.
- Silicone and TPE tubing options: the fluid path can be selected according to connection and processing requirements.
- Sterile ready-to-use configurations: suitable assemblies can be supplied gamma irradiated.
- Wide temperature range: PETG and polycarbonate provide different operating ranges for ambient, frozen and higher-temperature applications.
- Custom engineering: bottle type, tubing, ports, filters and connections can be configured around the process.
Configuration and quotation
Select a standard bottle material, volume and port configuration where these match the application. If a different container, tubing layout or fluid-path design is required, a custom bottle assembly can be configured.
For technical configuration and quotation, provide the following information where available:
- Required bottle or container type
- Nominal volume
- Preferred bottle material
- Process application
- Process fluid
- Number of process ports
- Feed-line tubing material
- Tubing ID and OD
- Required tubing lengths
- Dip-tube requirement
- Vent-line and vent-filter requirement
- Required sterile connectors or couplings
- Sampling connection requirement
- Operating temperature
- Low-temperature or freezing requirement
- Sterilisation method
- Required conformity or validation documentation
- Prototype quantity
- Estimated annual demand
- Existing drawing or process sketch where available
A finished assembly drawing is not required to begin. Bottle volume, process application and required connection points usually provide enough information for an initial technical review.