CleanRooms articles from January 2003

CleanRooms archives from January 2003

CR East aseptic guidelines panel: is the FDA moving with the times? (Clean Zone).(Clean Room East conference)(clean room standards for drug manufacturers)
January 1, 2003... BOSTON--When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) proposed revision of aseptic guidelines was released this past September, it marked the first step toward revision since 1987 and was a solid indication that the agency was moving along...

Critics say FDA cGMP initiative bite is more than it can chew.(Food and Drug Administration)(current good manufacturing practices)
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON, D.C.--Complying with a law that requires biannual inspections of drug manufacturing facilities will not happen any time soon, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the same breath says its initiative, Pharmaceutical cGMPs...

USDA beefs up meat testing program.(U.S. Department of Agriculture)
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON, D.C.--In the wake of an outbreak of listeriosis in the Northeast that killed seven people over the summer and led to the largest meat recall in U.S. history, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has intensified its testing...

New ISO standard to clear the air on testing, metrology: 14644-3 aims to fill the many holes left in existing standards.
January 1, 2003... ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill.--Cleanrooms may be spotless, but when it comes to cleanroom testing, contamination control practitioners often find themselves in a murky situation in regards to assessing critical parameters. Help is on the way in...

Meeting new conference programming needs. (Viewpoint).(Clean-Rooms East 2003)
January 1, 2003... We put the finishing touches on the Clean-Rooms East 2003 (March 17-19) conference program a couple weeks before this issue went to press, and I don't mind saying that this is the best conference we've ever programmed. Yes, that's a pretty...

System gives employers the upper hand on cleanliness: new "smart badge" reminder could impact healthcare, food, as CDC mandates washing procedures. (News).(UltraClenz handwashing system)
January 1, 2003... CARLOTTE, N.C. -- The shigellosis outbreak here all started when a homeless man, who lived with several large families, came in contact with a Mecklenburg day-care employee who changed jobs three times in a week and a half. That employee...

Cleanroom distributor shuts down. (Particles).(Hong Kong Batteries Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... BRIARCLIFF, N.Y. -- Sales erosion has forced Hong Kong Batteries Ltd., a distributor of cleanroom supplies and tools, to close its doors. Revenues of $2,039,543 from Hong Kong Batteries comprised 30 percent of the company's revenues for the...

Fairbank launches 319,000-pound recall. (Particles).(Fairbank Farms)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... ASHVILLE, N.Y. -- Fairbank Farms has recalled approximately 319,763 pounds of ground beef products produced at its facility here due to possible contamination with E. coil 0157:H7. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), no...

Gradipore granted patent. (Particles).(Gradiflow membrane separation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Gradipore Inc. has been granted U.S. patent 6,464,851 for its core technology, Gradiflow, which removes contaminants from biological samples. The membrane-based separation technology allows molecules to be isolated with high...

IEST publishes guidelines on cleanroom residue. (Particles).(Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology)(The Rate of Deposition of Nonvolatile Residue in Cleanrooms)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. -- The Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (IEST) has released the latest addition to its Contamination Control Recommended Practice (RP) publications: IEST RP-CC016.2: The Rate of Deposition of Nonvolatile...

It's still a jungle out there. (On the Beat).(food contamination)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The cafe in the basement seemed like the perfect place to curb passions that reason must rein. The fervor ached to herald the words of Upton Sinclair, who did not spare any details in The Jungle, his 1906 account of the meat processing...

ISO 14644-3 represents fresh approach. (Setting the Standard).(cleanroom standards)
January 1, 2003... While the tone of some of the previous ISO documents has bordered on the autocratic, ISO/draft International Standard (DIS) 14644-3 represents a refreshing change in its approach. Instead of mandating methodologies, it merely offers a series of...

Viable aerosol measurement: drawing from parallel experiences. (Electronics).
January 1, 2003... My December 2002 column discussed the measurement of viable particles in microelectronic ultrapure water (UPW). The measurement of viable aerosol particles in the cleanroom environment housing production processes is also growing in importance....

Isolation technology finds its game. (Special Report).(minienvironments)
January 1, 2003... Enclosing critical processes in steel boxes--whether to protect the product or the worker from contamination--has grown into a mainstay of high-tech manufacturing. In the case of minienvironments used in chipmaking, the technology has...

Surface protection method. (Inventor's Corner).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The invention is a method for protecting exposed surfaces from harmful airborne contamination in such enclosed spaces as buildings, medical rooms, clean manufacturing areas or consultation rooms. Using an ionizer (A), contamination (B) is...

Intelligent minienvironment. (Inventor's Corner).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The invention is an intelligent minienvironment control system designed to improve minienvironment performance, the protection of fab equipment and safety conditions for fab personnel. The intelligent minienvironment control system is made...

Air duct coupling adapter. (Inventor's Corner).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Within the plenum space (A) above a cleanroom (B), an HVAC duct (C) can be connected to a fan-filter unit (D) with the invention, an adapter (E). The adapter has two connection points, one for the air duct (F) and another for the...

Air purification method. (Inventor's Corner).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... This is a method and apparatus for purifying air to deactivate toxic chemical and biological species such as Sarin, mustard gas, phosgene, cyanogen chloride, Anthrax spores, E. coli bacteria, Salmonella bacteria, Hepatitis virus and Norwalk...

Has the downturn robbed 300 mm of its rightful glory? (Semiconductor Industry Insight).(Interview)
January 1, 2003... The move to 300 mm has been the catalyst for new contamination control technologies, pushing automation, software and advanced process controls toward new capabilities while forcing totally new thinking in fab design. Where can we expect 300-mm...

An examination of ACRs: an opportunity to reduce energy and construction costs. (Airflow and Filtration: Training Session).(airflow for cleanrooms)(air change rates per hour)
January 1, 2003... Now that cost-cutting has become paramount, it's time to discuss putting the growing list of energy-saving recommendations into practice. There are several conflicting sets of recommendations on what is the best airflow for cleanrooms....

Eco-friendly wiper. (Product Spotlight: Wipers).
January 1, 2003... The EcoCloth non-woven wiper has been engineered to have greater thickness in a lighter-weight sheet. The combined effect of performance and weight is designed to give a potential reduction in wiper solid waste in excess of 40 percent,...

Aseptic wipers. (Product Spotlight: Wipers).
January 1, 2003... Designated for aseptic environments, the Sterile SatPax 1000 wiper is presaturated with 70 percent U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)-grade isopropyl alcohol for one-step disinfecting or cleaning. A nonwoven polyester/cellulose substrate adds strength...

Clean-cut wiper. (Product Spotlight: Wipers).
January 1, 2003... Free-Sat presaturated wipes have four clean-cut edges, according to company claims. The fabric, Nova-Tech 1000, is abrasion-resistant and reduces particle generation and extractable chemical. It is comprised of a synergistic blend of virgin...

ISO Class 6 wiper. (Product Spotlight: Wipers).
January 1, 2003... High absorbency, improved wet/dry strength and economical value make the Versa Wipe wiper a cost-effective choice for general purpose applications-including aqueous spill clean up-in ISO Class 6 and greater cleanrooms. The wiper is manufactured...

Wiper/mop line. (Product Spotlight: Wipers).
January 1, 2003... Anticon Gold Heavyweight cleanroom wipers are constructed of 100 percent continuous filament polyester that has been chemically modified for improved sorbency and cleanliness. Its edges have been sealed to reduce particles and extractables. For...

Pharmaceutical/biotechnology wipers. (Product Spotlight: Wipers).
January 1, 2003... Steel-Bright Wipe and DAS-Wipe 100 Sterile are designed for aseptic operations that require the use of an individually packaged sterile saturated wipe for cleaning of stainless steel or metals in pharmaceutical and biotechnology operations. The...

Presaturated wiper. (Product Spotlight: Wipers).
January 1, 2003... Designed for critical environments such as pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and other applications where wet wiping is required, Lymsat eliminates in-plant mixing, open solvent containers and solvent transfer. Exposure to airborne...

Wiper dispenser. (Product Spotlight: Wipers).
January 1, 2003... The tub's "sure seal" technology involves a hinged lid that provides a positive "click" when it is closed. Tubs used to house the wipes are recyclable and come in a rectangular, space-saving shape. The company has also extended its stock of...

CleanRooms: Mailbox.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... Just how applicable is a diffusion battery? Dear Robert Donovan, I have found your articles in CleanRooms magazine to be very informative. I have two questions on diffusion batteries: Can they be useful for continuous cleanroom...

Beware of "self-appointed" cleanroom guru trickery. (Unfiltered).(validity of Internet information)
January 1, 2003... Some of you may remember the Dragnet television series with Sergeant Joe Friday's immortal line: "Just the facts, ma'am." Unfortunately, the Internet does not have a Joe Friday designated to police its vast information resources. We are...