New glove port design cuts isolator cleaning

A new glove port interface design for isolators used in pharmaceutical and aseptic processing industries claims to eradicate contamination build-up around the operator access glove or window panel.

Developed by CPS Barrier, a division of Carlisle Process Systems in the US, it gives users the confidence that no API materials or contamination can build-up in invisible or hard to validate areas. Traditional isolator glove port designs often create a trap for powders or cleaning fluids at the point where the glove folds back upon itself and attaches 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. CPS Barrier's PharmaPort creates two powder- and 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 conventional manner. To add further security, the glove material is then sandwiched between the window attachment flange and an internal support ring. This second seal is very effective in preventing contamination ingress. The injection moulded glove port is made from GE Plastics' Ultem, a polyetherimide material offering outstanding heat resistance, high strength and broad chemical resistance. The port's design follows the oval shape of traditionally machined high density polyethylene ports but is more compact, allowing the operator to get closer to the isolator. With its snap-together moulded construction it also needs only two fasteners to achieve the same degree of glove security.