The new products are an extension of Millipore's long-standing Steritest range, which have been used in the pharmaceutical industry for over 20 years. Two versions are available: a 'red base' version for antibiotics and products containing antimicrobial agents, and the just-released 'blue base' version (pictured) for the majority of pharmaceutical parenteral and synthetic drugs that do not have antimicrobial activity. The products use different membrane technology - Durapore in the case of the red base and mixed cellulose HA esters for the latest product.
The device features needle adapters designed to fit the majority of test containers and maintain a closed system, which reduces the risk of adventitious contamination, according to Millipore. Pre-installed clamps simplify handling and save time by providing quality control analysts with an easy closing and re-opening mechanism, it said.
The longer 850 mm tubing length provides easier set-up and ample room to perform the manipulations involved in sterility testing. In addition, the canister inlet design minimises foaming for improved reliability and faster filtration.
Each canister is engraved with catalogue and lot number, expiration date and serial numbers for improved traceability.
Millipore is in the process of launching a range of products under its Steritest banner, and it recently launched a new liquid transfer pump for sterility testing in laminar flow hoods called Equinox. Others will be announced in the near future for other applications, said the company.