Oxygen Sensitive Product: Comparing Oxygen Testing Methods

The accurate determination of oxygen concentration as a critical quality parameter for oxygen-sensitive products is important across the product life cycle activities. Traditional methods for determining headspace oxygen levels in parenteral containers, such as electrochemical methods or gas chromatography, are slow and destructive. The analysis is both time and resource intensive and these conventional techniques are difficult to implement at- or in-line for immediate feedback about the filling process. In addition, the destructive nature of the measurements means these methods cannot be used for statistical studies or 100% inspection of the product if desired. These disadvantages do not apply to laser-based headspace analysis which is rapid, non-destructive, and requires no special expertise from the analyst to perform.

This article describes several case studies comparing non-destructive laser-based oxygen headspace analysis with electrochemical oxygen analysis and gas chromatography.