CleanRooms articles from August 2004

CleanRooms archives from August 2004

Ultra-pure sterilant eyed for expanded biotech, pharmaceutical use.(CleanZone)
August 1, 2004... LITTLE FALLS, N.J. -- A widely used water purification sterilant has been granted expanded Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval, from liquid form to fogging, providing new and more effective means to quell contamination in critical...

Waterborne pathogen system speeds results in real time.(News)(BioSentry)(LXT Group)
August 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The use of chemical treatments, most notably chlorine, as well as filtration and other techniques clean up water and remove potentially harmful pathogens and other contaminants. But what no one knows for sure is if the...

Filter design sifts deadly prions from blood supply.(News)(Leukotrap filter)
August 1, 2004... EAST HILLS, N.Y. -- For the second time this summer, a major advance has been unveiled in the battle against infectious prions associated with Mad Cow Disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). The latest, announced last month by Pall Corp....

Summer fun.(From the Editor)
August 1, 2004... Frequently, when I tell people that I work for a magazine called Clean-Rooms, the reaction is a curious stare. Usually, I then proceed to explain the basics of contamination control technology and why it's so important to so many industries....

Filter advance targets 193-nm processes.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... FRANKLIN, MASS. -- Designed as the primary filtration system on the latest generation of 193-nanometer (nm) step-and-scan lithography tools--one-third the size of its predecessors--Extraction's (www.extraction.com) ex2600 features the company's...

Biotech firm adds virology biosafety lab.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... RICHMOND, VA. -- Commonwealth Biotechnologies Inc. (CBI; www.cbi-biotech.com), known for its research and development in biodefense and bioterrorism technology, has opened a 500-square-foot virology biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory for...

Air Liquide acquires microcontamination lab.(News)(Analytical Services Group )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... FREMONT, CALIF. -- Analytical Services Group (ASG), a laboratory recognized for solving microcontamination issues and characterizing unknown materials, has been acquired by Air Liquide America (www.airliquide.com) and relocated within the new...

Researchers urge filtration to halt hospital waterborne pathogens.(News)
August 1, 2004... PITTSBURGH, PA. -- Following a recent study on prevention of pathogens in healthcare facility water systems, Janet Stout, Ph.D., director of special pathogens laboratory at the Veterans Administration (VA) Healthcare System, is urging hospitals...

Lighthouse lives large.(Particles)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions has moved its corporate headquarters to a larger facility here. The new facility is located in the center of the Innovation Triangle, a technology park in Silicon Valley offering a high...

More memory manufacturing.(Particles)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... AUSTIN, Tex. -- Construction has begun on a 34,000-square-foot expansion at Samsung Austin Semiconductor's (SAS; www.ssi.samsung.com) memory chip fabrication plant, designed to increase capacity of nano-scale semiconductor memory manufacturing....

Sinovac's SARS subgroups.(Particles)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... BEIJING, China -- The second subgroup of 14 volunteers in Sinovac Biotech Ltd.'s Phase 1 clinical trials of its SARS vaccine have shown no adverse reactions from their first inoculation. The inoculation process of the initial four volunteers...

Wafer washing.(Particles)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... TOKYO -- Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) is accepting orders for the Expedius 300-mm batch cleaning system. The company developed the system to provide increased productivity in cleaning demanded by the 300-mm semiconductor mass-production plants...

Self-cleaning spray solution.(Particles)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... CHASKA, Minn. -- Entegris (www.entegris.com) has introduced a clean-in-place (CIP) method designed for precise hygienic cleaning of filter housings that use the company's precision spray devices. Cleaning takes place in-line without...

Finding the perfect partner: a quality design/build firm uses close communication and a variety of resources to make sure the finished product is not a surprise.(Basics)
August 1, 2004... Design and construction management firms, also known as design/build firms, can help you define your cleanroom project in terms that provide meaningful guidance for design. In many cases, a design/build firm is the owner's best resource during...

USP 797: contamination sources--control and remediation.(Life Sciences)
August 1, 2004... Even the most excellent compounding room design cannot compensate for the one factor that has the greatest impact on a controlled environment--the human factor. Recently as I was greeting a group of people for training on "Correct Cleanroom...

Cleanrooms shocked by ESD impact: as technologies shrink, even low-voltage static events can cause contamination.(SpecialReport)(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... ESD control programs are no longer optional for cleanrooms. Shrinking geometries are making delicate wafer technology even more susceptible to lower levels of electrostatic discharge (ESD), and small particles are drawn more easily to charged...

Preparing pre-filled plastic syringes.(Inventor's Corner)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... To prepare contamination-free, pre-filled plastic syringes under clean conditions, this invention is designed to allow preparation in a less cumbersome and more efficient manner than previous methods, obviating the need for subsequent treatment...

Workpiece-handling robot.(Inventor's Corner)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Designed to offer precise positional accuracy and repeatability, this sealed wafer-handling robot offers improved transporting of workpieces, such as semiconductor wafers and flat planel displays, between process tolls or workpiece storage...

Supporting a raised floor and tool.(Inventor's Corner)
August 1, 2004... This invention supports a raised cleanroom floor near a semiconductor, biotech, food processing or other industrial tool, without requiring a frame and without drilling or welding the tool support. The method supports at least a portion of the...

Approximating facilities costs: to be ultimately profitable, pharmaceutical R & D and biopharmaceutical facilities design must incorporate detailed expense analysis.(Design/Build Criteria)
August 1, 2004... "On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could...

Cleanroom chairs.(Furniture/Benches & Workstations)
August 1, 2004... This AM-series heavy-duty ergonomic chair is designed to help cleanroom personnel remain productive throughout the day. The chair features a sculpted seat designed for greater comfort, a taller and wider backrest for ergonomic support and...

Ergonomic cart.(Furniture/Benches & Workstations)
August 1, 2004... The ergonomic Z-Cart for laptops turns a laptop computer into a mobile computer workstation. Compact, stable and maneuverable, it can be adjusted to the user's height, promoting natural posture while standing or sitting. The cart comes with a...

Adjustable workbench.(Furniture/Benches & Workstations)
August 1, 2004... The Align workbench can be adjusted to accommodate workers with the appropriate work surface height. It is designed for repair, testing and assembly of mechanical and electrical products and components, packaging, calibration and R & D...

Flexible lab furniture.(Furniture/Benches & Workstations)
August 1, 2004... The Metro Starsys system line of mobile, modular lab furniture is designed to accommodate changing lab requirements. The line facilitates fast, agile lab configuration by putting the power to reconfigure in the hands of the lab professional. In...

Cleanroom workstation.(Furniture/Benches & Workstations)
August 1, 2004... The DownDraft workstation is useful for soldering or chemical processing that release noxious fumes because its 1,200 CFM blower draws contaminants downward and away from the operator. A purification filter incorporating bonded activated...

Etch system.(Furniture/Benches & Workstations)
August 1, 2004... This porous Si Etch system incorporates zero-surface infringement on a substrate. The design uses pneumatic bladders for sealing the perimeter of the substrate during chemical processing, while increasing the surface area and yields. The etch...

Controlled-environment furniture.(Furniture/Benches & Workstations)
August 1, 2004... This variety of controlled-environment furniture can outfit a cleanroom with workstations, chairs, desks, benches and shelving. All items are available in various construction materials, including stainless steel, laminate, cold-rolled steel...

Dust-containment cabinets.(Furniture/Benches & Workstations)
August 1, 2004... The series 1532 inflow dust-containment cabinets are constructed of painted steel for compatibility with typical cleanroom environments, and are considered a solution for mailroom protection, hazardous materials and biological safety...

Framework system.(Furniture/Benches & Workstations)
August 1, 2004... The GATORJAW framework system makes it easy to build with industrial-strength aluminum rather than a T-slot. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The fasteners are self-tightening--no nuts, drilling, tapping or welding. You can make attachments any...

Stand-alone cabinets.(Furniture/Benches & Workstations)
August 1, 2004... Series 9000 cabinets are designed with flexibility and space efficiency in mind, working as stand-alone units or as pedestal-based workbenches when combined with the company's workbenches. A variety of cabinet configurations and five different...

Pipe/tubing hanger.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... A line of pipe and tubing hangers follow the design principles of ASME BPE-2002. The hangers are available as wall, floor or ceiling mount assemblies as well as multirun stacked configurations, in a size range of 1/2-inch through 6-inch for...

Air filter.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... The enclosing frame and media pack supports of the updated V-bank Durafil air filter are now of high-impact plastic that reduces the weight of the filter, is not subject to corrosion and resists damage during shipping and installation. The...

ESD monitor.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... The battery-operated Ground Gard Traveler enables users to have constant ESD protection away from the work bench utilizing the company's single-conductor, impedance-detecting technology in a lightweight case. In addition to a visual indicator...

Mass flow meter.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... The integration of MODBUS communications into the Innova-Mass multivariable vortex mass flow meters offers higher accuracy, greater flexibility, reliable performance and cost savings on installation. The user interface features direct import of...

Pipings and fittings.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... A new line of Halar pipings and fittings is intended for aggressive chemical applications. According to the company, Halar, which is composed of a copolymer of ethylene and chlorotrifluoroethylene, has excellent chemical resistance in most...

Ionization monitoring/control.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... IonAccess and IonMonitor software products remotely monitor and control multiple AeroBar ionizers and sensors connected to the company's 5225 IM6T interface modules. The software provides serial or TCP/IP connections to devices and enables fast...

Pump.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... The E3 aluminum bolted pump incorporates an air valve system that eliminates stalling, icing and the need to lubricate. The pump's leak-free bolted design reportedly provides a greater positive seal, effectively handling large volumes of fluid...

Steel spline shaft.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... Featuring three times the stiffness of the company's aluminum spline shafts, the steel spline shafts are designed for heavier side loads and applications with rough handling and are used for medical sampling and dispensing systems, material...

Conveyor.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... With a flat belt width of 12 mm, the CS20 Series can be installed in locations with small gaps or narrow spaces. Standard belt widths are available up to 200 mm, with lengths between pulleys from 132 mm to 1000 mm. Single-belt designs have...

Temperature controller.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... The EchoTherm model CB20 constant temperature chilling/heating mini-circulator is for use with small volume sample holders such as water-jacketed cuvettes for spectrophotometers and electrophoresis baths. The unit is Peltier based for heating...

Waste can.(New Products)
August 1, 2004... Staff is kept safe from contact with the container and its contents by a lid that automatically opens with the wave of a hand. After a few seconds the lid automatically closes. The bright orange color of the Scienceware Touch Free Automatic...

X-ray system detects packaging contamination.(News)
August 1, 2004... WALLA WALLA, WASH. -- Process automation systems designer Key Technology (www.key.net) is joining forces with package inspection systems provider Peco Controls Corp. (Fremont, Calif.; www.peco.com) to form InspX, a new company that seeks to...

Non-toxic treatment system may be cost-effective method to combat stormwater bacteria.(News)
August 1, 2004... LITTLE RIVER, S.C. -- Working jointly with Coastal Carolina University to identify drainage areas here with significant bacteria counts following storm events, Integrated Environmental Technologies Ltd. (IET; www.ietltd.net) is proposing its...

Calendar.(Calendar)
August 1, 2004... SEPTEMBER 6-9 17th International Symposium on Contamination control, Bonn, Germany. To register: www.icccs2004.vdi.de SEPTEMBER 14-15 BIOMEQ 2004, biomedical and pharmaceutical manufacturing expo. Pennsylvania Convention Center,...

Developmental fabs tackle unique contamination issues.(News.)
August 1, 2004... SANTA CLARA, CALIF. -- When it comes to manufacturing, the philosophy at Matrix Semiconductor Inc. (www.matrixsemi.com) is there's nothing new in the process. Dan Steere, the fabless company's vice president of sales and marketing, points out...