Originally Published MPMN May 2007

SPOTLIGHT

Pumps and Valves

Tube-end luer valve

A company's swabbable tube-end luer valve was developed as a needle-free injection port for intravenous applications. Designed to aspirate or inject fluids on demand, the valve allows multiple usage and requires no cap. Valve stems and bodies will mate securely with all standard luer syringes and luer connectors. The valve is available in polycarbonate in 2-, 2.5-, 2.8-, 3.7-, and 4-mm sizes. All materials are gamma resistant, USP Class VI, DEHP-free, and latex-free.
Halkey-Roberts Corp., St. Petersburg, FL
www.halkeyroberts.com

Lightweight valve

Molded from glass-reinforced nylon to give it a light weight and to facilitate manipulation, a valve comes in 0.5- and 1-in. sizes. The BioValve's precision restriction controller--tested with Shore 50, 60, and 65 clear and braided silicone tubing--is designed to minimize flow-path turbulence. Its thread pitch is calibrated to 2 mm per turn, providing an accurate estimate of flow restriction with a maximum operating pressure of 150 lbf/sq in. The valve can be irradiated at 60 kGy with no detectable weakening, and can be autoclaved repeatedly at 134°C for 30 minutes. It also has a security feature to facilitate a tamperproof tie. Manufactured and packaged in ISO Class 7 cleanrooms, the natural version of the material grade has been previously tested to meet the requirements of the United States Pharmacopeia, plastic Class VI.
Bio Pure Technology, Havant Hampshire, UK
www.biopuretech.com

Peristaltic pump

An undulating peristaltic pump features a sterile closed fluid path designed to preserve the integrity of fragile, shear-sensitive products. The pump ensures that the sterile product never comes in direct contact with any moving parts before being dispensed. The product passes from a bulk tank directly into sterile medical-grade silicone tubing that is placed onto the circular track of a filling head. A gentle massaging motion lightly compresses the tubing against a proprietary dual-roller rotor to achieve a smooth, nonpulsing flow. A change of the sterile tubing and filling needle is all that is required during changeover since shear-sensitive liquids such as blood products, biotechnology products with live cells in suspension, and other fragile liquids are safely contained inside the tubing.
Flexicon America Inc., Burlington, VT
www.flexiconamerica.com

High-temperature valve

A valve has been engineered to operate safely under extreme conditions with media temperatures of up to 150°C. The Furon UPM 1000 enables users to achieve high wafer throughput and product yield. The valve's wetted surfaces are constructed of high-purity perfluoroalkoxy and modified PTFE for media purity and reliability. In conjunction with the Furon valve, the company offers the 0.5-in. Orifice valve to enable two- and three-way configurations with pneumatic actuation. End connections are also available for leak-free connection to a system.
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, Garden Grove, CA
www.microelectronics.saint-gobain.com

Displacement pump

A company offers a digital system that allows materials to be dispensed at viscosities from 1 to 1 million cP. Changes in temperature, viscosity, or deposit size will not impact the True Volume pump, which is designed to provide accurate volume control. The pump's technology uses a piston that moves within the dispensing chamber to deliver an exact amount of fluid through the tip. Delivering true piston positive displacement with no delay for refill, the pump meters out a defined increment of material and repeats that identical metering action 90,000 times per hour to create volumetrically accurate dots, beads, fills, and underfills.
Creative Automotion Co., Sun Valley, CA
www.creativedispensing.com

Copyright ©2007 Medical Product Manufacturing News