After discovering serratia marcescens bacterial contamination in what it claims was a "limited number of lots" of its Fluvirin flu vaccine late this summer, Chiron Corp. (www.chiron.com) quarantined the approximately 46 million doses manufactured at its Liverpool facility and began an investigation into the cause of the contamination.
Recent announcements from Pall Microelectronics, a part of Pall Corp. (East Hills, N.Y.; www.pall.com), and Mykrolis Corp. (Billerica, Mass.; www.mykrolis.com) may portend a time when gas filters and purifiers are the same device, and when cleanroom air itself is purified, as well as filtered, to control contamination.
CyberOptics Semiconductor (www.cyberoptics.com) has introduced WaferSense ALS technology, designed to provide real-time measurement data to fab managers and engineers without having to shut down process equipment to take measurements.
A 44,000-square-foot membrane casting manufacturing facility, designed to increase production of Millipore Corp.'s ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for biopharmaceutical markets, is now in operation next to the company's existing device plant here.
Anti-prion processes developed by STERIS Corp. (www.steris.com) have been found to inactivate deadly prions that can lead to fatal illnesses in humans and animals.
Biosensor technology developed at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is being incorporated in a contamination-controlled laptop veterinary diagnostic system now under development by Seahawk Biosystems Corp.
A wireless sensor-on-a-plate is giving photomask makers a view inside the manufacturing process, letting them solve critical dimension challenges without work disruption or the need for manual modifications.
A proprietary membrane-based filtration module that removes contaminants and separates unwanted molecules in polymer and solvent solutions is designed to provide a more cost-effective and efficient method for purifying organic materials used in high-tech manufacturing.
How much contamination does a wiper create and how well does it wipe? This two-part article arms users with the essential information to make the best wiper choice
Modular hardwall and softwall cleanrooms can be found in industries ranging from precision manufacturing, medical, pharmaceutical and biological to semiconductor, aerospace and food processing.
