Such methods, as well as corresponding devices are generally known. They are used for so-called cell harvesting, in other words, for separating and concentrating bacteria, for example, from liquid nutrient media. For this purpose, the centrifuges that are used are operated in the continuous flow mode. Solids are collected in the centrifuge rotor and the liquid components form the supernatant which is pumped out of the rotor and may be collected.
In this manner, very large quantities of suspension are centrifuged and separated. The liquid components, separated from the solids, are then separated into the high-molecular-weight and low-molecular-weight components in a separate process and/or a separate device using the so-called membrane filtration method. Various types of filters are used for the filtration technology, for example ultrafilters or microfilters which differ in the type of membrane used. Microporous membranes separate components in the 1/10 micron range, bacteria for example, while ultramembranes can separate much smaller components, proteins for example.
The known methods are also viewed as disadvantageous because they incorporate several separate method steps whose method parameters must be selected individually and therefore cannot be adjusted to one another, or can be adjusted only unsatisfactorily. In addition, these methods and/or the corresponding devices suffer from the disadvantage that the tanks with the components to be centrifuged or filtered must be moved around.