…the standard for your lab.

Click to toggle navigation menu.

Franz Cell – The Original

This diffusion cell is the most common of all Franz Cells.  It is a jacketed Franz Cell with a 9mm orifice diameter, flat ground joint, and 5ml receptor volume.  It is the de facto standard for working with human skin and may be used with any membrane 4mm or less in thickness.

An oblique view of a jacketed Franz cell with a flat ground joint

An oblique view of an unjacketed Franz Cell with a flat flange joint

Type 1 flow Franz cells are like static Franz cells in that they have a sampling port as well as the flow ports. These cells may be used as static cells when equipped with female luer fittings and stoppers on the ends of the flow ports.

Type 2 flow Franz cells are just like Type 1 cells except that the manual sampling port is not present.

Type 3 flow Franz cells have both flow ports coming out toward the user from the front of the cell.  The receptor fluid is circulated through the entire volume of the receptor compartment.

Franz Cells with Type 4 flow porting are essentially the same as Franz Cells with Type 1 flow porting except that the receptor input and output arms are configured differently.  When Type 4 cells are used in a V-Series Stirrer, connections to a peristaltic or syringe pump are more convenient.

The cutaway side view of a V-Series stirrer

The components of a Franz Cell with an o-ring joint

Different methods to heat the receptor chamber of a Franz Cell with an o-ring joint

The components of a Franz Cell with a flat ground joint

Different methods to heat the receptor chamber of a Franz Cell with an o-ring joint

The components of a Franz Cell with a flat flange joint

Different methods to heat the receptor chamber of a Franz Cell with a flat flange joint

A Franz Cell with a flat ground joint and flow type volatile donor chamber with a stopper

There is a black plastic disc in the flat ground joint of this clear 11.28mm jacketed Franz Cell to show where the membrane is placed.

This amberized cell is a 20mm Franz Cell with a flat flange joint. It uses a horseshoe clamp that is tightened by turning the threaded thumbnuts.

This is a 20mm Franz Cell with a flat ground joint and pinch clamp, flow porting and a 14/20 ground joint in the donor chamber. A donor chamber with flow porting may be used to deliver or draw off gases to or from the donor chamber.

This is a 20mm Franz Cell with a flat ground joint and pinch clamp, flow porting and a 14/20 ground joint in the donor chamber. A donor chamber with flow porting may be used to deliver or draw off gases to or from the donor chamber.

This jacketed 11.28mm Franz Cell has a flat ground joint. The donor chamber has a female luer fitting on the top so the user can attach a syringe to it.

These are unjacketed 11.28mm Franz Cells with flat flange joints. The small cell has a 2ml receptor volume, the larger cell has a 4ml receptor volume.

This unjacketed 5mm Franz cell has a large 20ml receptor chamber volume and a flat ground joint.

 

This clear unjacketed 35mm Franz Cell has a flat flange joint and 20ml receptor volume.

Here is an amber jacketed Franz Cell with an 18mm diameter spherical joint and 9mm orifice for corneal work.

This tiny 5mm amber unjacketed Franz Cell has a flat ground joint and 3ml receptor volume.

PermeGear vertical glass diffusion cells are the original Franz Cells. Standard orifice diameters are 5mm, 7mm, 9mm, 11.28mm, 15mm, 20mm and 25mm, other diameters are custom. The word “orifice” as it refers to a Franz Cell is the area at the top of the receptor chamber that is exposed to the membrane or device through which transport or permeation is being studied. Corresponding volumes from 5ml to 20ml are standard and are listed under Typical Dimensions. Clamping is achieved through o-ring joints, flat ground (ground o-ring) joints and flat flange joints. We manufacture our own clamps for the most popular Franz Cell models. Our clamps are all stainless steel and are much easier to use than clamps from other suppliers. For more information about our Franz Cells, visit Parts of a Franz Cell.

We welcome requests for custom cells!

PermeGear’s master glassblowers have created over 1000 different types of Franz Cells, all of them to customers’ specifications.  We offer 4 different joints, 10 different orifice diameters, almost any receptor volume, and amberization.  We can provide jacketing and custom flow porting for both donor and receptor chambers, and many different kinds of stoppers and accessories for donor chambers.  Porting of all diameters for ultrasound probes, iontophoresis electrodes, and other devices is available too.  Don’t hesitate to inquire!

Ordering Information

Part numbers are generally made up of 2-character codes separated by hyphens.

1st code is cell type:

  • 4G is for a jacketed cell, 6G is for an unjacketed cell

2nd code is joint type:

  • 00 is an o-ring joint
  • 01 is a flat ground (ground o-ring) joint
  • 02 is a flat flange joint
  • 03 is a spherical joint generally used for corneal work – please see additional information in the 4th code.

3rd code is glass type:

  • 00 is for clear glass
  • 01 is for amberized glass

4th code is orifice diameter in millimeters, 05 through 25, if the cells do not have a spherical (ball and socket) joint

Franz Cells with a spherical (ball and socket) joint are often used for corneal research and have 4 digit codes.  The first two digits are for the orifice diameter, the last two digits are for the diameter of the spherical surface surrounding the orifice.

The following configurations are available:

    • 0312 – 3mm orifice with a 12mm spherical diameter
    • 0512 – 5mm orifice with a 12mm spherical diameter
    • 0718 – 7mm orifice with a 18mm spherical diameter
    • 0918 – 9mm orifice with a 18mm spherical diameter
    • 1228 – 12mm orifice with a 28mm spherical diameter
    • 1528 – 15mm orifice with a 28mm spherical diameter

5th code is receptor volume in ml

6th code is optional and indicates:

      • VD is for a volatile donor compartment with ground glass joint and Teflon stopper
      • VDFT is for a flow through volatile donor compartment with ground glass joint and Teflon stopper
      • VDOC is for an completely occluded volatile donor compartment
      • VDOF is for flow thru volatile donor compartment without ground glass joint and Teflon stopper

7th code only follows the 6th VD or VDFT codes if a stoppered donor is required:

      • 0725 is for a 7/25 ground glass joint with teflon stopper
      • 1420 is for a 14/20 ground glass joint with teflon stopper
      • 1922 – is for a 19/22 ground glass joint with teflon stopper
      • FL is for a female luer joint with stopper

Examples

#4G-01-00-09-05 describes a clear 9mm jacketed cell with a flat ground (ground o-ring) joint and 5ml receptor volume.

#6G-02-01-09-03 describes an amber 9mm unjacketed cell with a flat flange joint and 3ml receptor volume.

#4G-03-00-0918-10 describes a clear 9mm jacketed cell with a 18mm diameter spherical joint and 10ml receptor volume.

#4G-01-00-15-12-FT-03 describes a clear 15mm jacketed cell with a flat ground (ground o-ring) joint and 12ml receptor volume with Type 3 flow porting.

#4G-01-00-11.28-08-VD-0725 describes a clear 11.28mm jacketed cell with a flat ground (ground o-ring) joint and 8ml receptor volume with a volatile donor chamber that has a 7/25 Teflon stopper.

#4G-01-01-20-15-VDFT-1420 describes an amber 20mm jacketed cell with a flat ground (ground o-ring) joint and a 15ml receptor volume with a volatile donor chamber that has flow porting and a 14/20 Teflon stopper.

Typical Dimensions

These dimensions are for standard Franz cells. Jacketing and the joint variety do not affect the receptor volume. We can modify most of these parameters within the practical limits of blown glass. Do not hesitate to inquire if your studies need something other than what is listed here. The term “Franz Cell” for sales and pricing purposes includes the two glass components, the clamp for the joint, and the stirbar.

Standard jacketed or unjacketed Franz Cells have the following specifications:

  • 5mm:5ml volume – .20 square cm area
  • 7mm:5ml volume – .38 square cm area
  • 9mm:5ml volume – .64 square cm area
  • 11.28mm:8ml volume – 1.00 square cm area
  • 15mm:12ml volume – 1.77 square cm area
  • 20mm:15ml volume – 3.14 square cm area
  • 25mm:20ml volume – 4.91 square cm area

The tolerance for the orifice diameter is +/-.5mm for Franz Cells with orifice diameters up to 15mm, and the tolerance is +/-1mm for 20mm and 25mm orifice diameters.

The tolerance for the receptor volume is +/-.5ml for volumes up to 8ml and +/-1ml for receptor volumes greater than 8ml.

Download the PermeGear guide to Standard Franz Cell Dimensions (PDF)

 

Request a Quick Quote Request a Detailed Quote








Shipping Address






Product Details







Product Details





Product Details





Product Details






Product Details




Interested in getting a more detailed quote? Interested in a quick quote?