Medical Device Link.

Originally Published PMPN September 2002

Dependable desiccants

Desiccants protect products during storage and shipping.

Ageless Oxygen Absorbers
A company manufactures active oxygen absorbers for pharmaceutical and medical packaging. The Ageless oxygen- absorber packets create an oxygen-free packaging environment that preserves product freshness and extends shelf life. The desiccants can reduce the oxygen in an airtight container down to 0.01% or less. They are easily inserted without hampering packaging line productivity. Ageless can be used with products such as nutraceutical supplements to prevent deterioration due to oxidation without additives and/or preservatives, and with prefilled syringes to maintain efficacy of medical components. Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America Inc., New York, NY; 212/752-4620; www.MGC-A.com.

Plastic Spools
A company’s new continuous-strip PillowPak desiccants on plastic spools control moisture, odor, and gas in packaged products to maintain product quality and lengthen product shelf life. The plastic spools are suitable for cleanroom and other sanitary applications since they are nondusting. With no inherent moisture content, the plastic spools reduce moisture absorption by the desiccant prior to packaging, increasing the capacity of the desiccant by as much as two percent and lengthening packaged product shelf life. The plastic spools are lightweight, improving the ergonomics of lifting the desiccant spool into the desiccant-strip-cutting equipment. Desiccare Inc., Pomona, CA; 909/444-8272; www.desiccare.com.

Continu-Strip
A company is providing one free reel of desiccant packets for use with virtually any automated packet-insertion equipment. Continu-Strip packets feature strategically placed holes at each seal, enabling desiccant insertion equipment to identify where cuts should be made for automatic packet insertion into packaging containers. The new filling and winding equipment incorporates quality control optical sensors, which instantly detect whether the registration holes are precisely placed, ensuring that customer insertion equipment does not miscut packets. Süd-Chemie Performance Packaging, Belen, NM; 800/989-3374; www.s-cpp.com.

TranSorb Desiccant Bags
A company designs desiccant bags specifically for use within freight containers to protect products against moisture damage during international or domestic shipping. The 170-g desiccant bags feature a patent-pending desiccant blend to adsorb "container rain," the profusion of moisture that results within large steel containers due to temperature changes during long ocean journeys. The bags measure 71 ¼ x 101 ¼ in., and the number to be used depends on the container size, with a 20-ft corrugated container typically requiring 32 bags. Multisorb Technologies Inc., Buffalo, NY; 888/SORBENT; www.multisorb.com.

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