BRIEF: All-Star Innovators 2015

July 9, 2015
Pharma's all-star tech athletes have the gear to win the big game

Editor's note: this is a 60-second version of the original article. To read the full length feature, click the link at the end of the brief.

Evolutionary or revolutionary, technical innovation is supporting new gains in pharmaceutical manufacturing and processing efficiency. That is, the technologies are available to help achieve these gains, but only if these players get a chance to get out of the bullpen and have their turn at bat.

The pace of change and the market's dynamics are prompting fresh capital investment in equipment and facilities, especially in the Bio and Contract Pharma sectors. Pressure on global players to improve quality is intensive.

Many companies are delivering technical innovation to support drug development and innovation. These innovators deserve to be recognized. What follows are this year's All-Star Innovators, technologies and systems introduced within the last 12 months that, based on their relative applicational and technical merits, were selected by Pharmaceutical Manufacturing's editors and reviewers to be on this year's All-Star Innovators Roster. 

Take a look at who made this year's roster; there's bound to be something able to help make your process or operational task a winner for your organization.

ANALYTICAL AND MONITORING DEVICES
• AMETEK Crystal Engineering's HPC40 Series hand-held calibrator is the world's first mA loop calibrator that is fully temperature compensated from -20o to 50oC, and can deliver the same accuracy whether measuring pressure, current, voltage or temperature.

• Malvern Instrument's Zetasizer Helix helps users gain a better understanding of biologic formulations earlier by combining Raman spectroscopy with Zetasizer dynamic light scattering (DLS) technology to conduct highly detailed protein aggregation mechanism studies.

• OneVue Intelligent Monitoring Platform from Primex Wireless offers a pervasive, flexible wireless solution.

• Thermo Fisher Scientific's Gemini handheld FTIR and Raman analyzer combines FTIR and Raman spectroscopy in a single, lightweight but rugged handheld instrument that delivers lab-quality analysis on demand.

• The Nexara UC from Shimadzu Corp. is Unified to simplify chromatographic separation and analysis, eliminating the need for complicated sample pre-treatment.

AUTOMATION, CONTROL AND SENSING
• Denso Robotics' VS-050 Six Axis Aseptic Robot possesses ISO 5 cleanroom rating and specially designed coverings for applications where biocontamination control is required. 

• The CMSX Closed Loop Controller from Festo delivers proportional closed-loop control, energy savings, safety at nearly half the price.

• Stratophase's Ranger Solo sensor technology can be integrated into all bioprocessing systems enabling bioprocess managers to automate their feeding regimes by observing the metabolic rate of their process in real time.

• GF Piping Systems' Pressure Regulating Valve Family is well-suited to high-purity piping system duty.

BIOPROCESSING
• AdvantaPure, NewAge Industries' AdvantaPass combines single-use tubing, connectors and seals with permanent, wall-mounted, stainless-steel components to eliminate cleaning validations associated with clean room protocols.

• 3M Purification's Emphaze AEX Hybrid Purifier offers improved efficiency and process economics and can deliver the highest possible level of product protein purity early in biopharmaceutical downstream process.

• The Mobius 2000 Liter Single-Use Bioreactor from EMD Millipore sports the industry's first bottom-loading drawer, enabling easy Flexware assembly installation.

• Sartorius Stedim Biotech's Sartoclear Dynamics clarification line transforms harvesting from a two-stage process into a single-stage operation.

PROCESS HARDWARE
• Installing a Delta DSV Steam Trap from Delta Steam Systems can knock some 20 percent off one's boiler fuel bill says the company.

• Secotec TF Refrigerated Dryers from Kaeser Compressors Inc. pushes the boundaries of compressed air refrigerated dryer performance thanks to its game-changing thermal storage system. 

SOLID DOSE PROCESSING
• Fit for high-output OSD processing lines, the GKF 2600 Capsule Filling Machine from Bosch Packaging Technology offers high output and configuration flexibility.

• The XT600 High Speed Double Rotary Press from KORSCH America Inc. is specifically geared toward the high volume production of single and bi-layer tablets.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
• Waters' NuGenesis Lab Management System is a powerful alternative to a traditional LIMS, with advances, says Waters, that enable deeper insight into scientific challenges, accelerated decision-making, better business results and compliance with government regs.

PACKAGING AND HANDLING
• Marchesini Group's Integra 320 integrates primary and secondary packaging process for faster set up and production tempo.

• Parker's Piezo Gripper' measures changes in pressure, acceleration, strain or force and converts those inputs into an electrical charge suitable for the safe handling of products of any size, configuration or delicacy. 

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About the Author

Steven E. Kuehn | Editor in Chief