CleanRooms articles from September 2003

CleanRooms archives from September 2003

Stage is set for CleanRooms China 2003 Dec. 12-13.(CleanZone)
September 1, 2003... SHANGHAI -- With two new labs breaking ground last quarter and eight fab projects currently underway in China, the stage is clearly set for CleanRooms China 2003 conference and exhibition to be held at the Shanghai International Convention...

cGMPs warmly embraced by third-party nutraceutical maker.(News)(current good manufacturing practices)
September 1, 2003... MISSOULA, MONT. -- A contract manufacturer of dietary supplements says implementing the same current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) required for pharmaceutical aseptic processing will be a "seamless transition once the proposal is...

Biotech firm picks Oklahoma City.(News)
September 1, 2003... OKLAHOMA CITY -- A unique Tax Increment Financing (TIF) package that would provide more than $7 million to construct a $12 million dollar office and production facility here was enough to get biotech start-up Cytovance Biologics to locate its...

Sematech gives conveyors a go in fab.(news)(International Sematech)
September 1, 2003... AUSTIN, TEXAS -- International Sematech's latest offering looks a bit like cars racing in slow motion around a track, or perhaps a stately high tech waltz. But according to Marlin Shopbell, manager of the 300 millimeter (mm) wafer...

What is the cost of non-involvement?(Viewpoint)
September 1, 2003... Everyone is feeling the weight of extra duties and it's fairly easy to understand why industry associations need to push harder than ever to elicit critical participation from membership at conferences, shows or board meetings. Sure, it's...

300-mm designs boost fab construction, but cleanroom requirements relaxed.(News)
September 1, 2003... TAIWAN -- Despite hard times in the chip and microelectronics industries, a report from a firm that tracks wafer manufacturing says there are more than twice as many tabs under construction this year than in all of 2002. At the time of...

Getting AMC control on the right wavelength.(News)
September 1, 2003... FRANKLIN, MASS. -- When it comes to contamination control, even a light touch can cause problems. For example, as semiconductor feature sizes shrink, so too can the wavelength of light used. Because shorter wavelengths have more energy, it...

Laser longevity.(particles)(Hach Ultra Analytics)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- Hach Ultra Analytics has introduced Long Life laser technology for its Met One particle counter products. This technology extends the average service life of the instrumentation's laser to more than 10 years. The Long...

Diversifying DuPont.(particles)(DuPont Electronic Technologies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- DuPont Electronic Technologies has formed a new business unit, DuPont Integrated Circuit (IC) Fabrication Materials. David B. Miller, vice president and general manager, says the new business unit is an...

UltraSonic gets new name.(particles)(UltraSonic Cleaning/Film Division)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ORANGE, Calif. -- Officials at UltraSonic Cleaning/Film Division have announced the changing of their company's name from UltraSonic Cleaning/Film Division to Cleanroom Film and Bags. Bruce Lanfried, chief executive officer, and Daryl...

No 483s.(particles)(EaglePicher Pharmaceutical Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... LENEXA, Kan. -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a general, systems-based inspection of EaglePicher Pharmaceutical Services' Lenexa research facility, confirming no violations of current Good Manufacturing Practices. In...

Biotech notebook: many making bids to stay alive, generate revenue.(News)
September 1, 2003... LONDON -- Britain's Xenova Group Plc. has agreed to buy rival KS Biomedix Holdings Plc., but analysts say the deal would do little to ensure the survival of two struggling bintech firms. At press time, the deal was the latest in an industry...

Keystone compliance cops.(On The Beat)(Adven Medical Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration's right hand doesn't know what the left is doing, and despite the validity, the bureaucracy-mired agency recoils when questions abound. Adven Medical Inc. (Lubbock, Texas) has worked closely with the FDA in...

IEST seeks comments on garment standard.(News)(Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. -- The IEST, the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology, has released RP-CC003.3, Garment System Considerations for Cleanrooms and Other Controlled Environments, and is seeking comment on several other topics...

Relax, visualize airflow with party balloons.(Electronics)
September 1, 2003... Last month's column touted computational modeling as a useful tool for predicting airflow patterns in a clean room. The complex geometries and boundary conditions of a real cleanroom, however, render this approach impractical. Airflow...

Microfluidic device quickly captures, releases proteins.(News)
September 1, 2003... ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The tiny line of gold fingers of a new microfluidic device are the piano keys that when tickled allow this new lab-on-chip to sing songs of particle analysis to the tunes of contamination control, drug discovery, homeland...

Acceptable contamination limits: full disclosure is imperative.(Life Sciences)
September 1, 2003... How much contamination is acceptable? To answer this question we must define our goals as well as the consequences of not meeting them. For example, in the electronics world, contamination is tied directly to the bottom line in terms of...

A quick survey of the three mechanical filtration mechanisms.(Setting The Standards)
September 1, 2003... Filters are omnipotent in the practice of contamination control. We filter many things--cleanroom air, ultrapure water, process chemicals and high-purity gasses. We install filters at the outlets of our vacuum cleaners and we filter our process...

Squeezing every last drop of safety: professionals who oversee infection control programs and contamination control in the hospital pharmacy are making do despite ever-tightening budgets.(Special Report)
September 1, 2003... It's a given that in today's healthcare climate, virtually any conversation about specific areas of operation begins--and often ends--with a discussion about money. Hospitals, especially, are under the gun. Some patients are rushed home to...

China promises to whittle down tariffs on nonwovens.(News)
September 1, 2003... GENEVA -- China will pare down its tariffs on a host of nonwoven roll goods from rates as high as 23 percent to 10 percent by 2005, but the world's most populous nation says it is not prepared to make additional cuts to industrial and...

Fan unit.(Inventor's Corner)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The unit includes a fan blower (A) that is configured to emit air in a number of directions through a series of guide surfaces (B, C, D and E). As the fan blower rotates, air is drawn through an inlet (F), while baffles (G, H, I, J)...

Substrate holding method.(Inventor's Corner)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The invention is a system for preventing contaminants from coming into contact with the backside of a substrate as it is vacuum-held on a chuck or handling robot (A). The robot includes a shaft (B) that is mounted to a base (C) that moves...

Air permeability apparatus and test method.(Inventor's Corner)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The apparatus and method are designed for testing cleanroom garment material permeability. The apparatus is constructed with a flow regulator (A), flow meter (B), PCV sample holder (C) and a quantitative tube (D) that is equipped with a...

GAMP: the essential tool for maintaining 21 CFR Part 11 compliance: the latest version of the Good Automated Manufacturing Practices guidelines can help ensure the accuracy and integrity of your commercial-off-the-shelf automated filter test instruments.(Filtration/Separation)
September 1, 2003... Since its enforcement, starting hi 1997, Title 21 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11 has had a resounding impact in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. For cleanroom operators, in addition to validating all...

Cleanroom garments: ask questions, get what you need: while establishing a program isn't "rocket science," it's a necessary and potentially expensive aspect of cleanroom operations that requires attention and understanding. Here are some practical considerations is moving forward.(Laundry management)
September 1, 2003... Having recently reviewed articles pertaining to cleanroom garments and their associated programs, it appears that certain aspects of the selection and oversight process receive litfie if any attention. Ten years ago, a process engineer at...

Re-processor caught between rock and two FDA offices.(News)
September 1, 2003... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- Although a re-processor of single-use medical devices has agreed to halt production, the president of the Lubbock, Texas-based company says the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) claim that Adven Medical Inc. failed to...

Laminar flow clean bench.(Cleanroom Furniture)
September 1, 2003... Depending on application needs, Series 412 clean bench systems can range from vertical flow benches with open interiors to exhausting clean benches with wet process to recirculating temperature control Class 1 systems. HEPA or ULPA filters are...

Auto-adjusting workstation.(Cleanroom Furniture)
September 1, 2003... The ErgoHeight auto-adjusting workstation is designed to contribute to an ergonomic cleanroom environment by positioning the work surface at the correct height for each operator. Motorized lifters, which are sealed to the underside of the bench...

Extra support chairs.(Cleanroom Furniture)
September 1, 2003... Offering added back support and greater seating comfort for heavy-duty cleanroom use, the MMS Series adjustable ergonomic chairs feature an extra-tall and wide backrest plus extra-wide and deep seat, with four-way contouring and waterfall...

Heavy-duty desk.(Cleanroom Furniture)
September 1, 2003... Constructed of white polypropylene, this cleanroom desk features rugged monocoque-style welded cabinet construction, and drawers reinforced for heavier loads. It includes heavy-duty, non-particulating hardware. All desks include any of the...

Spacious work area.(Cleanroom Furniture)
September 1, 2003... The all-316L stainless steel LFI Workcenter is polished to a #4 finish, and features a slightly sloped work surface. Its spacious drawer (23 inches wide, 23 inches deep, five inches high) is lockable. Sanitary, adjustable levelers are available...

High-velocity return air bench.(Cleanroom Furniture)
September 1, 2003... The 4015 peripheral flow horizontal laminar flow clean bench has been redesigned to provide high-velocity return air intake slots along the side panels, front top, and front edge of the work surface. The construction is designed to reduce the...

Computer table nest.(Cleanroom Furniture)
September 1, 2003... The WIP nest computer workstation for cleanroom environments has an adjustable monitor holder and a hidden raceway to hold monitor wires. The table also features a sliding keyboard tray, fixed mouse pad and detachable bar code reader holster....

Disinfectant/sporicide mixer.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... The top part of the SimpleMix System contains the sterile concentrate disinfectant or sporicide and the bottom part contains the sterile USP WFI quality water. When the user pulis a tab, the solutions are instantly mixed together. The system...

Asceptically filled disinfectant.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... TexBleach (TX3292), an aseptically filled disinfectant for use in pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturing facilities, contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite with USP purified water, and is EPA-registered as a non-porous, non-food...

Fire alarm control panel.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... Designed for medium to large applications, the modular NFS-3030 Panel allows for one to ten signaling line circuits (SLCs) and 3180 devices. The auto-programming feature enables the system to be operational within minutes. The product's...

Raised flooring.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... The Iso Floor Series of raised floor systems is designed to offer optimal access to air conditioning, heating, electrical and plumbing installations. According to the company, the type of heavy equipment placed on top of it does not affect its...

Zipper seal package.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... Engineered to provide access to the company's presaturated cleanroom wipers, the SatPax Z-series is a stand-up, flexible pouch with re closable zipper seal that enables one handed wiper retrieval. An empty pouch can be a container for used...

Ionizing guns.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... Designed, assembled and packaged for use in ISO Class 5 or less cleanrooms, the P-2021-2432 ionizing guns use technology that eliminates the potential for particle contamination. Intended for use with compressed air or nitrogen service, these...

Fluoropolymer diaphragm valve.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... Now available with a multi-turn, manually adjustable actuator for precise flow control, the DRP series meets or exceeds SEMI Standard F57-0301 for ultrahigh-purity polymer system components. According to the manufacturer, the valve design helps...

Cleanroom anti-skid tape.(New Products)
September 1, 2003... Ultratape, an overlaminated embossed vinyl tape, is designed to improve employee safety without contaminating your cleanroom. It contains no paper liners or sand and is residue-free. According to the manufacturer, you can apply Ultratape to all...

Clean, green and cost-effective: considering sustainable lab design.(Unfiltered)
September 1, 2003... For the past several years, heightened awareness of the effects of pollution, resource consumption and the interaction of the built and natural environments has inspired public-and private-sector organizations to adopt "green" or sustainable...