On-line Analyzer Measures Water Bioburden

Image courtesy of Mettler Toledo Thornton

Mettler Toledo Thornton’s 7000RMS (Real-time Microbial System) delivers on-line, real-time, continuous measurement of microbes and inert particles in purified pharmaceutical waters. On-line monitoring of conductivity and total organic carbon is well established, but determining microbial contamination has almost entirely relied on laboratory measurement of cultures. The time taken to grow cultures, and the multiple testing of points-of-use, results in many days of delay in identifying microbial excursions. The new technology will help companies validate water systems in real time, reduce off-line sampling costs and help eliminate false-positive tests.

The compact unit provides real-time assessment of water-loop bioburden levels, lowers labor costs via reduced sampling and testing, reduces energy use through better management of sanitization cycles, and leads to increased process understanding and product safety. Unlike other modern techniques for measuring microbes in water, the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technology employed in the 7000RMS does not require time-consuming staining or use of reagents. The implementation of LIF in the analyzer, in conjunction with Mie scattering detection and advanced software algorithms, allows the simultaneous measurement of particle numbers and determination of whether particles are microbes or inert material. The analyzer is suitable for on-line and at-line use and for laboratory measurements of grab samples.

Source: Mettler Toledo