Table 1.

Table summarizing the advantages and limitations of the described small-scale systems.

Device	Surface area (cm2)	Cell densities (ml−1)	Features	Disadvantages
T-Flask	25–225	1 × 105	• Low cost • Easy to use • Easy cell adaption • No special extra equipment required	• Scaling-out can be labor intensive • Inconsistency
Multi-layer flask	525–18,000	1 × 105	• Increased surface area compared to T-Flask • All layers are passaged at once	• Increasing in layers numbers impact in the difficult to handle it • Heterogeneity within different layers
Roller bottle	850–1,700	1 × 105	• Rotation provides better distribution of nutrients and oxygen • Require less media compared to planar flasks	• Scaling-out can be labor intensive • Require extra setup to roll bottles.
Spinner flasks associated with microcarriers	380/g	1.7 × 106	• Improved surface and cell yield • Homogeneous mass transfer • Relatively low-cost • Optimization prior to industrial scale-up in suspension	• Shear stress can be harmful to cells • Require optimization with cell line and microcarriers