Extract Technology has launched a contamination-free glove-port interface for the company's Isolator range currently in widespread use throughout the pharmaceutical and aseptic processing industries
This new design will help to eradicate contamination hang-up around the operator access glove/gauntlet and the glazing/window panel, while improving operator safety by way of mechanically clamping the glove to the port.
Traditional isolator glove-port design often creates a trap for powders or cleaning fluids at the fold where the glove is attached to the outside of the retaining ring mounted on the window panel.
This fold in the glove material can be both difficult to clean and hard to validate from a cross-contamination perspective.
The design team at Extract Technology, therefore, has developed a glove-port interface, named the PharmaPort, that creates, not one, but two powder-tight/liquid-tight junctions for mounting the glove into the window panel.
The glove-port that supports the flexible gauntlet makes a gasket seal to the window panel in the traditional manner.
To add further security, the glove material itself is then sandwiched between the window attachment flange and an internal support ring.
This second seal is so effective in preventing contamination ingress that extract engineers are claiming a breakthrough in Isolator cleanability.
Developed in Huddersfield, UK, the new glove-port interface provides a number of real user benefits for both the Isolator user and the Isolator manufacturer alike.
"The new injection moulded port is made from GE Plastics Ultemo, a polyetherimide material, offering outstanding high heat resistance, high strength, modulus and broad chemical resistance.
"The PharmaPort design follows the oval shape of the traditionally machined HDPE port - but is far more compact allowing the operator to get 'closer in' to the Isolator.
"Also, the new injection moulded port represents a big step forward in ease of glove/gauntlet change out," said Neil Cocker, product manager - Isolators.
Extract Technology's traditional machined HDPE glove-port interface needed several screw heads to be removed to access the glove attachment.
Now, with the highly accurate snap together moulded construction, the PharmaPort needs only two fasteners to achieve the same degree of glove security.
The real user benefit, however, lies in the confidence that no API materials or contamination can hang up in invisible or hard to validate areas.
