Achieve Dust-Free Manufacturing Of Radiographic Contrast Media With Quadro Ytron® ZC1Q

Radiographic contrast media is used for X-Ray diagnosis of circulatory problems around the heart and brain.  Batch production involves the manual addition of solids from drums via an open manway, in an agitated vessel. The solids are added slowly to limit the amount of dust and to prevent build-up on the vessel bottom, which slows down the dissolution of the solid material into the WFI water.

In scale-up to larger batches, there is a need to address the slow addition of powder, as well as dust contamination, without creating problems in the mix tank. 

The Quadro Ytron® ZC1Q is a ZC1 Mini-Skid System with an integrated Quadro Vac® vacuum conveying system and a centrifugal feed pump.  The ZC1Q is set-up in recirculation with the batch tank and a turbine agitator. The integrated Quadro Ytron® ZC/Quadro Vac® System is composed of a high-capacity powder hopper and filter separation cap mounted to the powder inlet of the Quadro Ytron® mixer. 

Powder transfer rates to the hopper are controlled by an integrated vacuum pump with a hopper-mounted powder level sensor controlling a vacuum relief valve.  The vacuum pump generates enough air flow to transfer powder into the hopper. Once the powder is introduced into the Quadro Ytron® disperser prior to hydration, it is sheared into the liquid via close tolerance rotor-stator tooling, immediately dispersing the powder into a blended solution.  A PD pump is then employed in order to transfer the mixed solution to its receiving vessel.

Powders are conveyed from drums by wanding and are readily dispersed into WFI water without emitting dust into the processing area, thereby decreasing the amount of clean-up required, minimizing product loss, and significantly reducing batch times.