UK's Bigneat has installed a bespoke controlled environment system to answer the specific needs of a transfusion diagnostics company.
The company had developed an original diagnostic system that will allow automated blood type testing and disease screening, providing significant clinical benefits alongside significant savings in testing costs and rapid results.
The system utilises highly characterised antigen and antibody panels, which require a critical manufacturing process. One step is the precise controlled rate of drying of a liquid solution, which provides a solid protective coating.
Bigneat, a laboratory safety cabinet and enclosure manufacturer, was tasked with coming up with a custom design for a controlled environment drying system made up of multiple drying pods, each with independent controls and constant monitoring of the process parameters.
The system would be installed in a cleanroom environment following the strict guidelines of GMP regulations. The main criteria for the drying phase was to achieve a curing time of 3– hours per pod.
Bigneat said it designed and manufactured an equipment featuring 12 independently operating pods, each provided with uniform, very dry clean air and with fully automated operation.
The dry atmosphere is controlled and regulated by a dehumidifier and cooling system. The system features state-of-the-art electronics that constantly monitors the environment parameters and boasts a large MMI touchscreen control panel for ease of operator use, the company said.
The collated process data is stored in the memory of the PLC controller, which has direct connection with the company’s Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to transfer and store critical data such as manufacturing recipes and alarms.
Stephen Pratt, Bigneat’s general manager of Containment Solutions, commented: “We worked closely with our client every step of the way to design and supply a fully operational solution. It’s been a challenging and enjoyable process."
Pratt continued: "We are increasingly being asked for special designs to solve customer-specific process needs and its one of the most enjoyable aspects of what we do.”
Headquartered in Hampshire, UK, Bigneat manufactures a range of standard sized enclosures including with controlled environments.
