Spotlight on Products from Interphex

Süd Chemie Performance Packaging (Belen, NM, www.s-cpp.com), a business unit of Süd Chemie AG (Munich, Germany, www.sud-chemie.com) has launched “PharmaKeep,” a canister designed to absorb moisture in low relative humidity package environments. The canister is designed for use in high-gas-barrier packaging to protect sensitive products from oxidation. According to Mark Florez, global marketing communications manager at Süd Chemie, the canister can be inserted into pharmaceutical bottles at high rates of speed. “The canister itself contains the oxygen absorber,” explains Florez. “The canister is dropped into a pharmaceutical bottle along with the product, just like a desiccant canister would be, and absorbs the oxygen in the bottle.”

GE Analytical Instruments, a division of GE Water & Process Technologies (Trevose, PA, www.gewater.com) has developed its “Sievers 500 RL” online total organic content (TOC) analyzer. The product uses the Sievers laboratory TOC measurement technology to provide science-based risk management capability to the production floor for process analytical technology and other quality initiatives such as real-time pharmaceutical water release and online cleaning validation.

Hoffman Enclosures, Inc. (Anoka, MN, www.hoffmanonline.com) has developed its "PharmPro” flush-mount pharmaceutical enclosures. According to the company, the enclosures have a >30-RA finish that minimizes surface crevices and allows for thorough cleaning. Wide size ranges are available.

NJM/CLI’s (Lebanon, NH, www.njmcli.com) “UNI-300VA” pressure-sensitive round-bottle labeler operates at speeds of 120 cpm or more. Suitable for wrap-around applications, the compact machine offers a sanitary raised-bed conveyor. The labeler is synchronized with an encoder to the wrap station to simplify speed adjustments. Optional hot-stamp coders, thermal transfer coders, missing-label detectors, and vision-inspection systems are available.

Eriez (Erie, PA, www.eriez.com) has introduced its “model 26C” vibratory feeder for conveying pharmaceutical materials. The feeder’s tubular conveyor transports powders and tablets within “a contained area that human hands can’t touch,” explains Linda Mioduszewski, technical sales representative at Eriez. The conveyor’s vibratory motion is generated by the interaction between a permanent magnet and a changing-polarity electromagnet. The absence of moving or rotating parts near the points where the product is conveyed reduces contamination risk. The feeder has a high-grade pharmaceutical finish. The model 26C feeder uses AC power and operates more efficiently than a DC-powered device that intermittently cuts power, Mioduszewski adds.

The “DS1922L” and “DS1922T” temperature and humidity data loggers by Dallas Semiconductor Maxim (Sunnyvale, CA, www.maxim-ic.com) are designed to withstand temperatures as low as –40 °C and operate within a wide temperature range. “Each data logger has a microprocessor and memory- everything is self-contained,” says John Young, sales manager. According to the company, the units provide temperature readings that are accurate to within 0.5–1.0 °C and feature greater resolution than the company’s other data loggers. The devices can store 8K of memory and have password protection.

ATS (Cambridge, ON, Canada, www.atsautomation.com) offers its new marking solution, “Validate,” for permanently marking glass and ceramic vials and syringes. According to Rob Faulhammer, director of business development, the Validate solution is impervious to any sort of chemical or thermal attack. Marks are created with a laser, which allows high resolution and printed bar codes as small as 2 mm², thereby making it appropriate for applications such as anticounterfeiting, track and trace systems, and verification of product pedigree.

Nilfisk-Advance America (Malvern, PA, www.nilfisk-advance.com) has launched its modular “IVT 1000 CR” cleanroom vacuum with optional “Safe-Pak” technology for ultrasecure material collection and disposal. The 316 stainless steel vacuum has an autoclave design for easy sterilization and decontamination. “We’ve gone the extra mile to make sure that the product is as autoclavable as possible-even down to the trolley and the wheels,” says Corry Luckenbach, product manager at Nilfisk-America. The vacuum offers two levels of filtration: an upstream ULPA exhaust filter (for 99.999% at 0.125-mm particles) before the motor and a downstream HEPA filter (for 99.97% at 0.3-mm particles) to catch fine debris from the working motor. Notes Luckenbach, “This is where engineering meets cleanroom theory. It addresses the problem of putting a vacuum inside a cleanroom while not violating the air-handling ratios.”

The NERBU rotary, beltless unscrambler-pucker by New England Machinery (Bradenton, FL, www.neminc.com) was designed with only FDA-approved contact surfaces. It offers a fully automatic adjustable bowl, chute, and turret with no change parts. Depending on container size, shape, and configuration, the NERBU can operate at speeds as high as 240 cpm. The machine also has a small footprint and a low overall height.

Domino (Gurnee, IL, www.domino-printing.com) has released its "Product Traceability System," a fully automated system that applies smart labels with embedded RFID tags directly onto outer cases. Human-readable text and barcodes can be printed either by inkjet or by laser technology remotely on the label. The system can be integrated within an existing production line or installed independently for batch processing of specific customer orders.

Baxter Healthcare Corporation has launched a generic azithromycin for injection, the active ingredient in Pfizer Inc.’s (New York, NY. www.pfizer.com) antibiotic “Zithromax.” The launch marks the first time Baxter has been granted exclusive authorization by a pharmaceutical company to market a generic version of its brand product. Pfizer will manufacture generic azithromycin for injection, and Baxter will sell and market the product in the United States.