Equipment and Processing Report
PharmTech's monthly newsletter, Equipment and Processing Report, reviews the Editor's Picks for the August 2012 edition from Getinge and MG America.
Getinge
Rigid-wall isolators improve productivity of sterility testing.
Sterility testing in an isolator helps avoid false-positive or false-negative results, and Getinge-La Calhène’s Isotest stainless-steel, rigid-wall isolators are designed to improve the workflow for sterility testing of injectables. The Isotest is equipped with one or two workstations in the same chamber, an attached fast decontamination chamber, and Getinge’s DPTE transfer system to evacuate the test canister and solid/liquid waste. The Isotest integrated bio-decontamination system is self-contained. Isotest can bio-decontaminate either the working chamber or the fast-decontamination chamber using the Isotest PLC control-system touch screen. Hydrogen peroxide is delivered from a canister that includes an RFID chip, which allows the PLC to monitor the volume and remaining shelf life, thus providing full traceability.
MG America
Versatile capsule filler with multiple dosing units is designed for small runs.
MG America’s FlexaLAB capsule filler, which can produce up to 3000 capsules per hour, is designed for research and development, clinical trials, and small-batch production. The FlexaLAB can function with either continuous or intermittent motion. Installing multiple dosing units allows the FlexaLAB to manufacture capsules with combinations of products. The machine can fill powders, pellets, microtablets, tablets, liquids, and certain low-dosage powder inhalants and can perform capsule-into-capsule functions. The machine includes a touch-screen panel and PLC for machine-functions control. Machine speed can be adjusted from the monitor.