Technology news
TESTING EQUIPMENT
Leak-Detection System Streamlines Quality Control
A manufacturer of precision testing equipment, Wilco AG (Wohlen, Switzerland), has introduced a rotary tester to provide leak detection for any container filled partly or entirely with liquid. The Wilcomat FC/LFC employs a differential-pressure method of leak detection that offers increased sensitivity, reliability, and speed compared with traditional processes. The machine was awarded a prize for "Most Outstanding Innovation in Packaging-Related Equipment" by Manufacturing Chemist magazine at the recent Interphex Europe show in Birmingham, UK.
The technology, called liquid-filled-container (LFC) leak detection, is based on the principle that the vapourization of a liquid engenders a change in partial pressure. In the Wilcomat FC/LFC, samples are placed in a hermetically sealed test chamber. If a sample contains a leak, the vacuum in the chamber causes liquid to vapourize gradually, creating a partial pressure that is detected by a patented measuring unit. Flow rates of approximately 10–5 mbar x L/sec can be detected, allowing for the estimated measurement of leaks as small as 0.8 µm diam. Typical applications include the testing of plastic and glass vials, ampoules, blow-fill-seal containers, syringes, bags, and blister packs. Wilco developed the LFC test method and is applying for a patent.
Company officials describe LFC technology as a significant advance in leak detection. "We recognized that the available tests all involved a compromise, particularly the blue-dye test, which is messy and unwieldy," says sales director Paul Scheidegger. "The high-voltage test, on the other hand, will not meet future validation requirements and is limited to electrically conductive liquids and electrically nonconductive packaging materials," he adds.
With a production speed of 400 counts per minute, the Wilcomat LFC provides accurate and reproducible results more quickly than traditional systems and supports in-line testing. It is also impervious to temperature and humidity conditions. Finally, the unit meets US FDA validation requirements and is equipped to run a self-test for calibration. Scheidegger highlights this feature as an advantage in the testing equipment market, pointing out, "More and more liquids are being packaged in blow-fill-seal containers, and it is very important that these containers be tested on a validated system."
PRINTING EQUIPMENT
Affordable Ink-Jet System Features Three-Line Printing
A noncontact ink-jet system can print a variety of codes and messages in 1-, 2-, or 3-line formats. A host of other features suited for custom applications are standard in this affordable small-character printer introduced by Videojet Systems International (Welham Green, Herts, UK).
The Triumph includes a serial communication data interface that offers remote computer access for all functions. Host data as well as data from linked devices such as weighing or counting machines can be captured and downloaded, thereby eliminating unnecessary data entry. Updates and code customization procedures are facilitated by features such as programmable shift codes, automatic expiry data, and programmable date rollover. Applications can be changed by means of a few simple keystrokes; a backlit LCD and guiding lights ensure correct programme sequencing and message retrieval.
The Triumph is housed in a stainless-steel cabinet. An optional automatic flush feature for printhead cleaning is available.
SURFACE TREATMENT
Device Coating Improves Ultrasound Visualization
Accurate localization of devices during aspiration, biopsy, and drainage procedures is critical to a successful outcome. Using current ultrasound-sensitive devices, this may be difficult to achieve. TWI (Cambridge, UK), a contract research and technology organization devoted to materials engineering and joining technology, has developed a coating that significantly enhances the visualization of biopsy needles during ultrasound imaging.
The coating consists of a polymeric matrix and a bubbling agent. "The technology involves constituents that can generate gas bubbles, which enable enhanced visualization," says Medhi Tavakoli, technology manager in TWI's advanced materials and processes department. "Unlike traditional methods, which rely on the roughening of selected areas of the needle," adds Ewen Kellar, principal scientist of the department, "the entire needle can be coated using this process. This enables the full length of the needle to be visualized."
The coating formulation and deposition techniques were developed at TWI in collaboration with St. George's Hospital (London). This project was jointly funded by BTG plc (London) and the UK Department of Health through a MedLINK grant. Initial in vitro trials have been successfully concluded, and BTG is seeking potential licensees interested in manufacturing and marketing the technology.
Biopsy needles currently are the principal beneficiaries of this technology, says Tavakoli, "but use of the coating can easily be expanded to other devices and materials. Catheters, for instance, would be a good prospect," he adds.
