Track Etched Membranes
Product Details :
| Usage | Laboratory |
Whatman track etched membranes (TEMs) are very thin, with tighly controlled pore sizes. They have traditionally been used for high-specification filtration in many laboratory applications. These thin films have discrete pores that are formed through a combination of charged particl bombardment (or irradiation) and chemical etching.
Applications of TEMs for Diagnostics
The properties that make TEMs ideal for applications like filtration are becoming increasingly important for diagnostic tests.
Cell Capture
Tightly controlled filtration properties allow you to capture cells of a specific pore size on the membrane surface. Enables cells to be detected in a clearer environment, yielding improved accuracy.
Particle capture and latex agglutination
The distinct pore size of TEMs enables the capture of particles of known sizes. Now you can construct assays in which capture reagents are bound to a latex bead (i.e., bead capture assays) or the antigen causes particle agglutination whereby the agglutinated clusters are captured on the membrane surface.
Biosensors
With biosensors, it is important to control liquid migration rates onto the sensor and prevent potential contaminants from reaching the sensor surface. The flow properties of a TEM can be chosen to yield the correct flow of liquids or gases through the membrane in order to obtain optimal sensitivity. It is also possible to modify surface properties so that membranes will serve as barriers to contaminants.
Erythrocyte deformability testing
Since healthy erythrocytes are highly flexible, they will readily change shape to pass through small openings. In several haemopathies, the ability of the cell to flex is reduced to the extent that it can no longer pass through a small aperture. When TEMs are used as a barrier to abnormal erythrocytes, it is possible to test for disease states.
In short, the degree of control that is possible in TEM manufacturing not only gives rise to a number of applications in which standard materials would fail, but also makes process validation and regulatory control easier and more intuitive.
