Particles, such as cell debris, come in various sizes and are filtered out using a standard membrane filtration device. Membrane filters are typically thin and very porous, with narrow pores. This prevents large particles from escaping the filter pores specified on the label . Suspended particles larger than the pore size accumulate on the membrane surface during filtration and eventually clog the open pores, preventing further solution from being filtered out. When filtering solutions containing a large number of molecules, a standard membrane filter can quickly become clogged and must be replaced.
Devices with depth filters generally enable more effective filtration of solutions containing heavy particles. The depth media is thicker than the filter membrane, allowing a range of particles of varying sizes to be retained on the surface and by the matrix of the filter media.
This includes products for deep filtration and devices for further processing of solutions for cell cultures, fermentation broths and burgers.