The Ampuscan is designed to inspect ampoules, respules and other blow-fill-seal-type plastic containers with a level of accuracy that is superior to that achieved by human operators, said the firm.
The system can operate at speeds up to 60 cards per minute, and detects moulding deformities such as voids, pits or holes, broken tabs and twist tops, separated ampoules, wall discoloration, foreign particle inclusions and liquid fill levels. In addition, the optical system can also read barcodes and other codes used in traceability applications.
Accurate inspection and traceability are critical to meeting Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations in the pharmaceutical industry, and with the Ampuscan ATS is offering one system that fulfils both those requirements, commented Paul Patterson, the firm's vice president, sales and business development.
Meanwhile, ATS has also launched Lyoscan, a high-speed inspection system for lyophilised (freeze-dried) products and vials. The product can handle vial volumes from 3 to 30ml with a throughput rate of 400 units per minute.
Using the system, the vials are inspected by two cameras that assess the stopper, cap, body and contents of the vial, identifying up to 17 standard faults.
Patterson said that the level of accuracy and the depth of data provided by the Lyoscan is superior to other camera-based systems on the market. This "offers new possibilities for inspection and quality control, such as spotting contaminants on a lyo surface, or spotting discoloration in a translucent liquid," he noted.