News | April 9, 2008

INTERPHEX 2008: Notes From The Exhibition Floor

Interphex 2008 Photo Diary

By Kristen Comstock
Web Editor

From March 26 to 28, nearly 17,000 life sciences industry professionals and over 1,000 leading life sciences companies gathered in Philadelphia for the INTERPHEX 2008.

With the addition of PharmaMedDevice and BIOTECHNICA, INTERPHEX 2008 gathered an expansive group of life science professionals. This broader show appeal brought together pharmaceutical and biotechnology advances and the latest in medical device and biomedical product technologies. And it helped a wide range of life sciences professionals gain a competitive advantage in their specific fields.

Pharmaceutical Online and Bioresearch Online were the proud online sponsors of the show. We, along with Pall Life Sciences, were also pleased to host the Cyber Café at the event. If you missed us at the show, please feel free to contact our team members to have your questions answered.

If you couldn't attend INTERPHEX, didn't have a chance to walk the show floor, or just want to relive the event, Pharmaceutical Online presents you with its INTERPHEX 2008 Photo Diary. Read on for a booth-by-booth tour of the exhibition, highlighting the newly released technologies, product demos, special announcements, and much more. (Links to additional news from INTERPHEX 2008 can be found at the end of the article.)

A&B Process Systems
A&B Process Systems provided INTERPHEX attendees with highlights from its pharmaceutical-specific products. It outlined the one-to-one approach the company takes to address concerns specific to the pharmaceutical industry including purity, precision, automation, efficiency, productivity, and contamination. Also announced at the show was A&B Process System's new ASME-certified, 36,000 square foot plant. The facility is designed to produce large-scale, stainless steel process vessels, tanks, and super skids for the pharmaceutical industry.

	Bosch Packaging Technology Bosch Packaging Technology introduced two new technologies at Interphex: the PreVas Disposable Dosing System and the HiProTect Containment Capsule Filler. The HiProTect Containment Capsule Filler is used for the safe handling and processing of potent substances. The PreVAS Disposable Dosing System, a pre-validated, pre-assembled, and pre-sterilized system for liquid filling of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products.	Bosch Packaging's press conference announcing its two new technologies
	Catalent Pharma Solutions Catalent Pharma Solutions was displaying its many packaging services and demonstrating its track and trace capabilities at its booth theater. Also, Catalent and Secure Symbology, Inc. presented a seminar on the Results of Serialized 2-D Bar Coding Pilot to Support Item-Level Track & Trace. Rich Smith, director of engineering at Secure Symbology, and John Vignola, manager of business development at Catalent Pharma Solutions, discussed the results and lessons learned from a serialized bar code pilot conducted between the two companies.
	Eriez At INTERPHEX, Eriez demonstrated two new products: its vibrating feeders (pictured at right) and its X-Ray Inspection Systems (pictured at left). Eriez's newly redesigned Dry Vibrating Magnetic Filter (DVMF), with a stainless steel construction option, can be used for handling food and pharmaceutical powders. Eriez' new E-Z Tec XR Inspection Systems helps ensure product and package integrity by identifying contaminants, scanning for missing or broken products, detecting packing voids, confirming fill levels, controlling product and package mass, and fat analysis.
	Freeman Technology Tim Freeman, director of operations, Freeman Technology (left), and John Yin, applications specialist, Freeman Technology (right), explain the FT4 Powder Rheometer to Stacy Wiater, customer relationship manager, Pharmaceutical Online (center). The FT4 Powder Rheometer is a universal powder tester that can measure a wide range of powder properties including dynamic powder flow properties, shear properties of powders, and bulk powder properties. The FT4 is proving important in linking processing experience with powder characterization data. This extension of basic process understanding translates into better powder formulation and improved process design. The University of Bath is currently using Freeman's power tester in a dry powder inhaler study. For more information, click here.
	Glatt Air Techniques The GC Master: Drum Coating System was the featured product at Glatt Air Techniques' INTERPHEX booth. The GC Master coating series helps standardize the pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries while allowing for individual requirements. It offers the advantages of standardization and proven process engineering characteristics, together with application flexibility. The GC Master also provides efficient processing of the tablet cores and gentle product handling with its special perforated drum.
	ILC Dover Alan George, pharmaceutical product line manager for containment products, ILC Dover (center), accepts a plaque from Cory Coleman, customer relationship manager, Pharmaceutical Online (right), for the article Test Area Validation And Flexible Containment System Performance: Testing To The SMEPAC 2005 Guidelines, featured in the Pharmaceutical Solutions Update. At the show, ILC Dover was showcasing the DoverPac® Flexible Containment System. If you didn't get a chance to hear about the product, you can read more with this Flexible Containment Solutions Guide: Mill Containment System	ILC Dover's sales representative explains the ILC Dover containment system to Cory Coleman (right).
	K-Tron Process Group Cory Colemen, customer relationship manager, Pharmaceutical Online (right), presents a plaque to Sharon Nowak, global business development manager for food/pharmaceutical (middle), and Nora Ashmen, marketing communications, K-Tron Process Group (left), for the featured article Choosing The Right Refill Design For Pharmaceutical Loss-In-Weight Feeders. This article explains that as the pharmaceutical industry continues to investigate and utilize continuous manufacturing practices, the roles of loss-in-weight (LIW) feeders and the subsequent accurate and consistent refill of these feeders are critical to the overall process.
	Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed At INTERPHEX, Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed was demonstrating its Starweigh Checkweigher™. Starweigh is an intermittent motion checkweigher, delivering tight accuracies by statically weighing each item while maintaining the in-motion throughput of a production environment. The Starweigh design allows installation over the existing conveyor eliminating line cuts and product transfer concerns, while also keeping overall equipment foot print to a minimum thereby simplifying product handling and installation requirements.
	Mettler-Toledo Safeline, Inc. Joe Gianfalla, marketing manager, Mettler-Toledo Safeline (left), explains the Tablex 2 metal detector to Scott Moren, customer relationship manager, Pharmaceutical Online (right), at its booth during the show. The Mettler-Toledo Safeline Tablex 2 metal detector protects tablets and capsules from metal contaminants. Operators can be trained quickly and the system's easy mobility and three-axis adjustable detection head allow fast adaptation to any process equipment configuration to maximize uptime.
	Mettler-Toledo Thornton Pharmaceutical Online Customer Relationship Manager Stacy Wiater (right) presented a plaque to Giovanni DeDona, product manager of pharmaceutical market and TOC analytics, Mettler-Toledo Thornton (left), in honor of the featured article in the Pharmaceutical Solutions Update Updating International Standards For Pharmaceutical Waters. At the show, Mettler-Toledo Thornton announced the it delivers Calibration Tools Verifying USP Compliance Of Conductivity Measurements. Mettler-Toledo Thornton M300 Conductivity Calibration module provides a solution for the calibration of a conductivity instrument. This tool simplifies the calibration process, considerably reducing the possibility for error.
	NJM/CLI Packaging Systems International Mark LaRoche, VP of sales, NJM/CLI Packaging Systems International (right), explains to Stacy Wiater, customer relationship manager, Pharmaceutical Online (left), how the beltorque™ uses a unique continuous-motion, high-speed retorquer that reapplies cap torque after induction sealing. The beltorque can reapply caps with the diameters of 0.5 to 5 inches and it runs on round, oval, square, and rectangular containers.
	Pall Life Sciences Gareth Leach, Ph.D., global marketing manager, Pall Life Sciences, demonstrated the GBK Containment System for SUPRAcap Filter Capsules at INTERPHEX. This new system aids in the handling of potent APIs by providing safe, easy-to-use, flexible protection for filter change-outs, reducing the capital investment and downtime costs typically associated with this application. The GBK Containment System for SUPRAcap Filter Capsules uses flexible containment to safely handle large-scale filter change-over in wet process applications. Read more on the how this product works. Read all of Pall Life Sciences' news announced at the show.
	Parker/PAGE International Parker/PAGE International Hose introduced the PAGE-flex SBF™ Smooth Bore PFA Hose at INTERPHEX 2008. The PAGE-flex SBF PFA Hose assemblies utilize a smoothbore PFA tube and a bonded wire braid – silicone – textile braided composite, giving the product bend radius, kink, and vacuum resistance. Read the news in its entirety here.
	Parsec Automation Corp. Parsec Automation Corp. was showcasing its new HISTORITrak™, the a new component for its real-time performance management software platform, TrakSYS™. Parsec's TrakSYS™ is a flexible, configurable application software suite that can be deployed by end-users and solution providers. HISTORITrak allows for benchmarking of key performance indicators (KPIs) against a multitude of process variables from disparate sources and makes the goal of improving productivity significantly more attainable.
	PTI Inspection Services Oliver Stauffer, sales/applications engineer (left), and Heinz Wolf, general manager, PTI Inspection Services (right), were presented with a plaque for the recent article Blister Pack Leak Detection: Protecting Product Integrity in the Pharmaceutical Solutions Update by Pharmaceutical Online's Scott Moren (middle). PTI Inspection Service also debuted its new leak tester (pictured at right) for empty and pre-filled syringes and liquid filled and lyophilized vials at the INTERPHEX. At the show, Heinz Wolf explained, "The VeriPac 325/LV was presented and demonstrated to the FDA on March 12 and was very well received. This test method puts the VeriPac 325/LV at the forefront of pharmaceutical laboratory equipment." To read the story, click here.
	Quadro Engineering Exhibiting many products at INTERPHEX, Quadro Engineering engineers and manufactures specialized size reduction and liquids processing equipment for processors. Its main product, the Quadro Ytron™ ZC Single-Pass, High Shear Powder Into Liquid Disperser, comes in three sanitary design models ranging from pilot scale up to 120gpm. The Quadro Ytron™ ZC is designed specifically to disperse extremely difficult to wet powders into a liquid stream, in a single pass, without aeration or the need for additional solvents or heat. This efficient mixing results in no waste, no lumps, or "fish-eyes."
	Sartorius Stedim Sartorius Stedim Biotech and NewAge Industries Inc. presented a press conference at the show announcing they have combined forces to provide the AdvantaPure GammaTag^™ gamma-stable RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag exclusively for Sartorius Stedim's single-use Fluid Management Technology portfolio (pictured at right) used in the biopharmaceutical industry. Sartorius Stedim plans to integrate NewAge Industries' patented PET Process Equipment Tracking^™ technology into its single-use Fluid Management Technologies, becoming the first company worldwide to offer RFID technology on bioprocess containers. The full news story can be found here.	AdvantaPure GammaTag^™ gamma-stable RFID tag embedded in Sartorius Stedim's single-use Fluid Management Technology
	Sharpsville Container Corporation Jeff Schipani, director of sales & marketing, Sharpsville Container Corporation (right), is presented with a featured advertiser plaque from Customer Relationship Manager Scott Moren, Pharmaceutical Online (left). Sharpsville Corporation, established in 1860 and located in Western Pennsylvania, is a full- service provider for buyers of containers metal, plastic, and high pressure gas cylinders. Sharpsville incorporates the latest technology in metal forming, welding, and finishing. Download the latest catalog from Sharpsville Container Corporation.
	SP Industries Company SP Industries, Hotpack Brand, was demonstrating its Large Capacity Glassware Washers at the INTERPHEX show. The Large Capacity Glassware Washers offer high volume throughput of virtually all sizes and types of laboratory glassware and plasticware. Another SP Industry brand, FTS Systems, was featured in the Pharmaceutical Solutions Update. The article was penned by Stefan Schneid and Dr. Henning Gieseler, Division of Pharmaceutics University of Erlangen, Germany, entitled Influence Of Concentration And Fill Depth On Product Resistance Of Sucrose During Freeze Drying	Mary Walsh (left) and Jennifer Colaiacomo (right) of SP Industries explain the Glassware Washer to Scott Moren, Pharmaceutical Online.
	Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. demonstrated at INTERPHEX 2008 an online tool to enable scientists and engineers to design their own integrated fluid transfer and bioprocess systems using NALGENE and NUNC brand products for handling high value products. The Online Custom Tubing Set Configurator was created to meet increasing customer demand for the deployment of single-use systems in upstream and downstream biopharmaceutical production applications. Also announced a the show, was Thermo Fisher Scientific' s milestone of its 15,000th Nanodrop 1000 Spectrophotometer sold.