Bayer launches UV virus inactivator

Every year, several hundred patients around the world are infected by the use of virus-contaminated medicines. BTS' new UVivatec system makes use of ultraviolet radiation to inactivate harmful viruses in pharmaceutical products.

The new reactor type is characterised by a treatment chamber which is formed from a tubular PTFE conduit which spirals around quartz tubing with a UV-C source (254 nm).

BTS claims the system is a superior alternative or supplement to current methods of virus reduction such as heat, chemical disinfection, chromatography or filtration, and can even inactivate hard-to-tackle nonenveloped viruses like parvovirus. Moreover, it says damage to valuable end-products is minimal.

The disinfection systems may be used for biotechnological or human blood plasma-derived products.They can also be used in the food and beverage industries and other liquid applications.

BTS said the system is compact and easy to install because it fits into existing pipework via triclamp connectors. Preassembled systems are available prewired and skid-mounted.

The company offers pilot scale system rental, scale-up and scale-down, and consultancy in process design and plant layout.