Written by Rachel Kohn
Moisture content, defined as the percentage of a product’s weight due to water, is an essential measure of quality control. A gravimetric moisture analyzer is employed across a broad spectrum of industries to confirm that moisture content is in line with regulations governing a particular industry.
Agricultural products such as grains and the flour derived from grains provide an illustration of where a moisture analyzer is put into play. A University of Minnesota Extension Report, for example, states that wheat and barley grain must have a moisture content of 13% to 14% for safe storage. Achieving that target can be costly and time consuming in wet weather.
When wheat is milled to flour another target applies. A study at the Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, reports that moisture content of flour is very important regarding its shelf life. Lowering the flour moisture increases its storage stability. The study concluded that flour with moisture content between 9% and 10% is suitable for extended shelf life.
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Written by Rachel Kohn
Stringent requirements for pharmaceutical and vaccine storage cover not only storage temperatures but also ongoing temperature monitoring. Undercounter lab refrigerators and undercounter lab freezers by Nor-Lake Scientific and available from Tovatech have recently been upgraded with new features to meet these requirements.
Two examples are the 4 cu.ft. and 5 cu.ft. auto-defrost laboratory refrigerators, both newly equipped with microprocessor temperature controllers and LED displays. The undercounter lab refrigerator can be controlled from 2˚ to 10˚ C (35.6˚ – 50˚F). The set temperature is displayed, and should temperatures vary outside the set temperature audio and visual alarms sound. As an added feature the units can be connected to a remote alarm system to alert personnel working in other lab locations.
A third model is an undercounter manual defrost laboratory freezer for storing frozen vaccines that should not be kept in auto-defrost freezers. This vaccine freezer has an optional sealable 1-inch sensor port to provide a means of connection between the internal thermocouple and external display module. Because of this there is no need to run thermocouple wiring behind the door gasket. It too can be connected to remote alarm systems.
All three models have lockable doors to comply with JCAHO regulations.
Complementing the existing line of Nor-Lake refrigerators and freezers these three undercounter models further enable laboratories and healthcare facilities to meet recommended pharmaceutical and vaccine storage requirements.
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What procedures does your laboratory or healthcare facility follow for the storage and monitoring of pharmaceuticals and vaccines?
Nor-Lake’s NSLR051WMW/0 Undercounter Refrigerator with optional casters as available from Tovatech. The LED monitor is at the lower left.
Written by Bob Sandor
Sharp instruments and those with complex shapes repeatedly used in medical and dental clinics pick up blood and tissue that may harbor dangerous microorganisms. To protect patients as well as personnel staffing these clinics from possible infection, a well-defined procedure has been established by the CDC starting with an ultrasonic cleaner, followed by disinfecting and sterilizing.
Manually cleaning such instruments is not a wise option for two important reasons. First, because of their sharp points and edges they could cause a puncture wound with potentially unfortunate consequences. Second, manually cleaning and scrubbing does not remove blood or tissue that may be lodged in the instruments’ hinges and tight angles.
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Written by Rachel Kohn
A sous chef exercising a bit of creativity when following a recipe for a dessert might discover a significant improvement in the final product. Or maybe not. Such creativity is to be fully avoided when compounding drugs or other products where strict control of ingredients is mandatory. A precision balance employed for the purpose of recipe weighing and record keeping is the tool of choice in applications where regulatory compliance and lab efficiency are goals.
Recipe weighing using precision scales such as the Kern PCB available from Tovatech also supports research in labs where technicians create and vary formulations while seeking to develop new or improved products.
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