CleanRooms articles from January 2009

CleanRooms archives from January 2009

Too obvious for words.(from the editor)(Column)
January 1, 2009... Usually, in this January column, I like to look ahead and talk about the outlook for the coming year. And as I look back at the last few of these that I've written, it seems I've usually been able to identify at least one--if not...

Keeping hospital patients safe from construction contamination.(news)
January 1, 2009... Construction subcontractors' lack of awareness of their surroundings is perhaps one of the most frustrating issues, from a contamination control point of view, faced by health-care facility managers. One example: "Information technology...

Industry organizations to unify ESD test methods.(PARTICLES)(JEDEC Solid State Technology Association and ESD Association in deal)(device electrostatic discharge standards)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... JEDEC Solid State Technology Association and the ESD Association have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement for the development of joint standards and publications in the field of device electrostatic discharge (ESD)...

Meissner opens Italian branch office.(PARTICLES)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Advanced microfiltration developer Meissner has opened a new branch office in Pavia, Italy--Meissner Filtration Products GmbH - Italia. The company says its location in Pavia will allow it to better serve the European marketplace. This location...

AdvantaPure expands cleanroom facility.(PARTICLES)
January 1, 2009... High-purity tubing and hose manufacturer AdvantaPure recently tripled the size of its cleanroom facility to allow for the increased production of molded silicone components. Manifolds and other process components for the pharmaceutical and...

EAG acquires RTP and failure analysis company.(PARTICLES)
January 1, 2009... EAG, Inc., a provider of surface analysis and materials characterization services, and microelectronic release to production (RTP) and failure analysis (FA) services, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Nano Integrated Solutions,...

3Q08 semi equipment billings down 41 percent from previous year.(PARTICLES)
January 1, 2009... SEMI has reported that worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached $6.56 billion in 3Q08. The billings figure is 16 percent lower than 2Q08 and 41 percent less than the same quarter a year ago. The data is gathered in...

Health-care initiative to test innovations for reducing HAIs.(news)
January 1, 2009... Patient mortality could be reduced by 17 percent and reliability of care could improve by nearly 13 percent if the not-for-profit hospitals participating in a nationwide collaborative attained the project's quality goals, according to a...

CDC confirms cause of heparin-related reactions.(news)
January 1, 2009... In findings recently published on the New England Journal of Medicine web site, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the cause of serious adverse reactions reported in late 2007 were due to heparin...

USDA's FSIS announces change to 8000 Series directives.(PARTICLES)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced a revision to FSIS Directive 8010.1 - Methodology for Conducting in Commerce Surveillance Activities, which features a new Appendix 1. The 8000...

Critical controls provide the cleanest garments: state-of-the-art laundering gets garments clean enough for strictest environments.(industry innovators)
January 1, 2009... Clothes make the man, the saying goes. The modern technological twist on that adage is that dirty garments can unmake the cleanroom. Since many of these garments are too expensive to be used only once, they have to be laundered. Now cleanroom...

On the surface: medical device manufacturers can benefit from innovative surface analysis techniques to help them identify and quantify contaminants on devices, but only if they are willing and able to share information about what the device is made of, where it's been, and what might be causing the contamination.(special report)
January 1, 2009... Surface contamination plagues manufacturers in every clean industry despite their best efforts to prevent equipment, air, and operators from collecting and distributing contaminants on delicate surface structures. Molecular-sized particles of...

Design for airflow to achieve energy efficiency: know the impact of design specs and airflow patterns on your clean operations' bottom line.(cleanroom design)
January 1, 2009... We are faced with a unique business climate in the design/build of cleanrooms and other facilities. There is a shortage of capital and a high incentive to reduce energy and other operating costs. This means that the cleanroom designer must...

Taking stock of cleaning process validation: productive cleaning validation relies upon knowing medical device requirements and clearly defining processes.(medical devices)
January 1, 2009... Cleaning process validation is essential for the manufacture of many high-value products. The important steps in a cleaning validation program vary depending on the type of manufacturing as well as on the specific product under consideration....

Guidelines for selecting a used cleanroom: used equipment may be the answer in difficult financial times.(cleanroom facilities)
January 1, 2009... In difficult financial times it can become even more challenging to fund capital expansions. Plant managers, financial officers, and procurement departments may need to look beyond new capital acquisitions and consider purchasing used equipment...

Garments.(product spotlight)(Directory)
January 1, 2009... Since human-generated contamination plays a large role in critical environments, special care must be taken to provide appropriate garments to minimize the human impact on the cleanroom. Other important factors include specialty fabrics to...

Static-dissipative binders for critical environments.(new products)
January 1, 2009... Desco now offers its line of ESD three-ring binders with static-dissipative clear overlay pockets. Insert covers or documents in pockets on the front, back, and spine. Interior pockets allow additional storage for quick and easy access....

Cell culture incubators with decontamination features.(new products)(Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. )(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Combining the iCAN[TM] touchscreen user interface with ContraCon[TM] contamination-control technology, the Thermo Scientific HERAcell i Series of cell culture [CO.sub.2] incubators provides an easy-to-use system for valuable cell cultures. The...

Magnetic agitators for GMP-compliant processes.(new products)(Zeta)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... BMR series magnetic agitators from Zeta, a member of the Christ Water Technology Group, meet all requirements for GMP-compliant production in biotechnology, food, and pharmaceutical processes. The agitators offer absolute sealing, low...

Sealing solution for pressurized and conditioned rooms.(new products)(Tate Access Floors Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Designed to seal cable and wire access holes, AirArrest[TM] uses patent-pending brush technology to prevent leakage of pressurized air around power and data cables that pass from room to room via through-wall cut-outs, while still maintaining...

Class 100 cleanroom cabinet oven.(new products)
January 1, 2009... No. 869 is an electrically heated 500[degrees]F (~260[degrees]C) Class 100 cleanroom cabinet oven, used for curing medical rubber products. Workspace dimensions measure 36 x 36 x 27 in. Incoloy-sheathed tubular elements provide 15 kW to heat...

Clean motors for minimal outgassing and reduced contaminants.(new products)
January 1, 2009... The Haydon[TM] specialty clean motors are designed for contamination-sensitive applications, cleanroom environments, and environments within systems under high vacuum. Provided that the motor operates below its rated operating temperature, it...

Powder-free latex industrial glove.(new products)(Sempermed USA Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... SemperGuard[R] latex industrial powder-free gloves provide optimal barrier protection while offering the property advantages of copolymer technology. Made from natural rubber latex, the glove provides high tactile sensitivity in both wet and...

Safe change filter box.(new products)(Skan AG)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The FIBO safe change filter box (patent filed) is designed for isolators and gloveboxes in which highly active ingredients are handled. It segregates airborne particulates of highly active substances such as cytotoxics for live vaccines,...

Workstation organizer.(new products)(Menda Scientific Products)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Menda's new workstation organizer, Item 35874, is designed for standardizing the placement of tools on a workstation and improving the appearance and efficiency. It is a suitable workstation solution for companies in compliance with 4S. The...

Recipe and production management tool.(new products)
January 1, 2009... The Sartorius ProBatch+ software used in conjunction with the Sartorius X-Family, Combics Pro, and other PLC controllers offers management of original raw material and recipe data. It can supervise and monitor a single scale or simultaneously...

Metal contamination detector.(new products)
January 1, 2009... The Tablex 2 metal detector safeguards pharmaceutical and nutraceutical tablets from metal contaminants in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), which necessitate product inspection safeguards at critical control points in the...

Process consulting and services.(new products)(Microfluidics Corp.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Microfluidics offers new services including process consulting, customized in-house seminars and training, and preventive maintenance contracts. Process consulting and customized seminars/training are delivered by Microfluidics' CTO Mimi...

Electrical/optic through-bulkhead seals.(new literature)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Hermetically sealed electrical or fiberoptic wires, cables, or pin connectors for low or high pressures or vacuums are offered in a range of designs and applications in the new PAVE Technology Catalog. Signal, power, coaxial, thermocouple, high...

Tubing and hoses.(new literature)(NewAge Industries Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... NewAge Industries has made available nine new product catalogs featuring its plastic tubing, rubber hose, fittings, clamps, and custom services manufactured for a wide variety of industries and uses. The new books are separated by material and...