PRESS RELEASE

Contamination: pinholes and flex cracks in films / foils used for medical packaging

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In tests on 9000 commercially packaged medical devices, some 0.2% were found to have holes in either the packaging materials or the seal*.  Pinholes and cracks can allow moisture and other contaminations to penetrate medical or food packaging, reducing potency and shelf life.  Films pinhole easily during manufacture and even sub-mm gauges of aluminium foil invariably contain pinholes.

Versaperm has developed a new mass-spectroscopy based instrument that allows you to identify and correct problems by measuring the vapour permeability of multiple gases in a single measurement.  The system works as well on finished products as it does on products ranging from a single capsule in a unitary dose (blister) pack, injectable or clean peel systems, through to moisturisers, grooming products and cosmetics.

The Versaperm multi-chamber meter provides accurate results on several samples or packages at a time, which are recorded and displayed on the instrument's touch-screen for further analysis. The instrument can measure the concentration of virtually any gas or mix of gases at a wide range of temperatures and pressures.

Sensitivity and accuracy depend on the vapour and materials but are typically in the PPM (Parts Per Million) range, with PPB (Parts Per Billion) for some materials. Results are precise and highly repeatable. 

Several environmental factors affect the barrier properties of a packaging material including temperature and partial gas pressure. Vapour permeability varies dramatically depending on the gas or vapour under question, for example the permeation rates for water vapour, oxygen and CO2 can be hundreds or even thousands of times different.

ENDS

Please send any sales enquiries to Christopher Roberts, Versaperm Limited ,
10 Rawcliffe House, Howarth Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1AP, UK, Tel: +44 1628 777668,
e.mail info@versaperm.co.uk Web http://www.versaperm.co.uk

For further Press Information please contact Gerry Palmer @ the Palmer & Rose Partnership. Tel 01494 637499, fax 0871 900 3898 e.mail gerry@palmer-rose.co.uk