Saffron’s bespoke isolator heads for the tropics
High-tech UK manufacturer; Saffron Scientific Equipment has completed an order for a versatile containment system for the weighing of high potency drugs from pharmaceutical company Douglas Pharmaceuticals Fiji.
Following the receipt of a dedicated specification, Saffron was able to design and manufacture a bespoke containment system to enable researchers in Fiji to “process” oxygen sensitive drug substances in a laboratory environment under anaerobic conditions whilst also incorporating a need for low Actinic lighting.
The brief also included a requirement for a microbalance facility; accurate to within four decimal places which needed containing within an isolator.
Saffron designed a hybrid box; one which provided a containment system; uniquely incorporating an isolator and a glovebox within the one application. Further provisions also designed into the system included:
- both argon/nitrogen or air atmosphere capabilities
- an oxygen meter which gives feedback on the oxygen level
- an automated purge feature which switches from normal atmosphere to inert gas modes for low percentage oxygen levels
- pressure control via air or argon/nitrogen top up
- HEPA filtration on internal atmosphere with a re-circulation pump to provide a high filtration rate (30-40 air changes per hour).
The hybrid design comprised the amalgamation of two Saffron boxes into one; changeable at the flick of a switch.
Andrew Van Breugel, Douglas Pharmaceuticals Fiji said: “We are very pleased with the value provided by Saffron’s offering, whereby a functional containment system was made available to us at a realistic price. Saffron was the only manufacturer we encountered that fabricates bespoke containment solutions of a finish that is appropriate to a laboratory setting, rather than the extreme finish (and cost) found on containment solutions intended for use in materials processing applications. This means we can protect our laboratory researchers from high potency materials as well as protecting those materials in an inert environment in functional, affordable equipment. We were also impressed with Saffron’s willingness to modify standard designs to meet our requirements.”
Forming part of the GSPK Group of companies based in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, Saffron Scientific is a specialist in the design, development, manufacture and installation of gloveboxes, dry anaerobic gloveboxes and bespoke containment systems for the storage, handling and processing of hazardous and toxic substances.