By Gasporox AB
Gasporox Technology Platforms
Gasporox AB’s non-destructive testing solutions and offers are based on a series of proprietary technologies that leverage the power of optical spectroscopy using low-power diode lasers.
The basic principle is to sense gas presence and densities by sending laser light through the sample, probing the gas content without any change of the sample. These gases can located in the headspace of a package or inside porous materials such as pharmaceutical substrates. The Gasporox technology can also be used for leak testing of packages and containers.
The Gasporox sensors are integrated as components into machines for production of pharmaceuticals, food and beverages. They are also integrated into Gasporox’s own GPX-series of benchtop instruments for pharma and food testing.
TDLAS technology principles and applications
Gasporox products are based on a laser spectroscopic technique called Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS). This technique relies on the principle that every gas molecule absorbs light in a unique way at certain wavelengths. As the laser is tuned across a particular gas absorption line, there will be a change in intensity of the light after some distance of travel through the monitored gas. From this, concentrations of Oxygen (O2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) or Water vapor (H2O) can be isolated and quantified.
This capability makes TDLAS particularly useful in inspection of food and pharmaceutical packaging, both transparent and opaque, as well as leak testing on any type of package. The package material can range from totally transparent to materials that only allow for a minor fraction of the light to pass and be detected.
GASMAS: measuring gas in cavities
Gasporox also uses a unique version of the TDLAS technology, developed by researchers at Lund University in Sweden, called GASMAS (Gas in Scattering Media Absorption Spectroscopy). The GASMAS technique is unique in that it applies TDLAS principles to determine presence and concentration of gases inside pores, cavities and packages surrounded by light-scattering media. This is useful when measuring the porosity inside pharmaceutical substrates.
Applications
Gasporox technology has been proven over more than a decade for the successful testing of parenteral drugs.
Its products are now integrated and used in many machines, systems and instruments used to do quality inspection and CCIT of pharmaceutical parenteral packaging such as vials and ampoules in many packaging lines and labs worldwide.
Specific applications include:
- Package integrity for long shelf life: Measuring gas concentrations inside the headspace of packages ensures a sterile environment crucial for quality, safety and prolonged shelf life. The package can be any type of bag, bottle, vial or tray for the pharmaceutical or food industry, whether transparent or non-transparent and made of materials such as plastic, glass, foil or carton.
- Package leak detection: Gasporox laser sensors can determine whether a package is leaking or not, even detecting the most minute leaks in packages that include any type of bag, bottle, can, tray or vial for the pharmaceutical or food industry. The packages can be made of virtually any material, including metallic containers.
- Porosity Analysis of Pharmaceuticals: Material porosity is a relevant parameter in many production process with dry compounds. For example, pharmaceutical production of tablets uses porosity measurement as a relevant GMP quality attribute. Gasporox technology offers an alternative to destructive testing methods that require additional laboratory steps like sample weighing, have long measurement times, are material dependent, or subject to limited accuracy. By using its innovative approach with GASMAS technology in Gasporox sensors, it allows measurement of the optical porosity of pharmaceutical substrates such as ribbons produced by a roller compactor in the process of the tablet production in a non-destructive process that is fast, accurate and easy to use.
Resources
Click on GasSpect™ – Sensors for headspace analysis for further information.
Click on LeakSpect™ Sensors for leak detection to for further information.
Click on GPX Material and Porosity Analysis for further information.