Micronit made a microreactor dedicated for pulsed electric field treatment (PEF), which is a pasteurization method that inactivates microorganisms with short electric pulses. The PEF microreactor consists of a 50 µm deep, 1 mm wide flow-through channel with a 10 µm deep constriction between the electrodes where the electric field is focused. Cells are pumped through the chip and inactivated in the constriction.

Low voltage
Compared to a laboratory-scale setup 25 times lower voltages were needed to obtain the same electric field strength due to the close electrode spacing and similar efficiencies were obtained.


Detailed study
Several designs with multiple chambers in series were produced and tested. This new microreactor made the study the PEF process in more detail possible.

Reference
Mr Martijn Fox
University of Wageningen
Food and Bioprocess Engineering Group