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May 28, 2023

Rapid transfer ports in life science applications

Manufacturers of high-value products in the nuclear and life science industries

Manufacturers of high-value products in the nuclear and life science industries share two common challenges as these products are moved into and out of cleanrooms, isolation chambers, and gloveboxes: ensure purity or sterility so products aren't compromised, and make certain any hazardous materials used or waste products created are handled safely and securely.

Serving as an indispensable aid in meeting and overcoming these challenges are Rapid Transfer Ports (RTPs) , which were developed to provide safe, contained transfer of sterile or hazardous materials and waste as they are moved into and out of containment or isolation. A leading developer and provider of RTP technology is Red Wing, Minnesota-based Central Research Laboratories Inc. (CRL).

CRL has created a full range of RTP technologies designed around the capabilities of the Double-Door Transfer System, allowing materials to be rapidly transferred into and out of a cleanroom, isolation chamber, or glovebox without breaking containment. This helps ensure product purity, quality, and integrity while maintaining an expected level of safety for operators.

CRL's roots go back to the dawn of the Atomic Age in 1945 when three recent graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Frank G. Chesley, Demetrius Jelatis, and Gordon M. Lee – pooled their resources and founded CRL. Thanks to their undergraduate experience as researchers for the U.S. War Department, CRL found immediate success as a company that designed radar-testing equipment for various branches of the U.S. armed forces, as well as the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. The company's first breakthrough in this realm came in 1953 with the development of the Model 8 Telemanipulator, which was a safer method of handling radioactive materials.

Fast forward to 1997, when CRL introduced its first RTP model, which consisted of two main components: a stationary Alpha flange mounted to the wall of a contained environment, and the Beta assembly, a mobile container, bag, or other process component attached to the Alpha flange. Both the Alpha flange and Beta assembly consist of a door, seal, and interlock.

The design of the RTP dictates when the Alpha flange and Beta assembly are mated, the interlock helps protect against either of their doors accidentally opening. Also, the doors won't be allowed to open if the two assemblies are incorrectly docked. Interlocks are incorporated into the flange on the Alpha assembly at the interface with the door handle, preventing the port door from being opened when a Beta assembly isn't present; keeping the Beta assembly from being removed from the Alpha flange when the port door is open; and preventing the port-door handle from being rotated when the door is open.

Building and maintaining a safe and secure work environment is a top-of-mind concern for all operators within the life science industry. It requires the creation and maintenance of highly reliable isolated environments that can protect against product contamination and exposure to potentially hazardous materials.

Three operational areas within the life science realm are ideal for the use of RTPs:

Throughout the years, CRL's RTPs have evolved through the diligent work of a design and engineering team that's constantly looking for ways to improve product performance, revealing itself with CRL's recent introduction of the E Rapid Transfer Port, or ERTP (see sidebar), which promises to make RTP operation easier while maintaining the same product purity and containment capabilities.

All RTP models feature the Double Door Transfer System, but additional features have been developed that give the technology more flexibility, including:

Building on its legacy as a provider of Rapid Transfer Ports (RTPs), CRL has added the E Rapid Transfer Port (ERTP) to its RTP family. The ERTP features the same standard-setting Double-Door Transfer System technology as CRL's other RTP models, but adds a new level of efficiency, reliability, safety, and ease of operation through:

Before the introduction of the ERTP, CRL had already created two different iterations of its original RTP model that incorporated some of these advanced features: the Sterile Liquid Transfer Port (SLTP) and the Sterilizable Rapid Transfer Port (SRTP).

Sterile Liquid Transfer Port (SLTP): The patent-pending SLTP, a component within CRL's Sterile Liquid Transfer System, helps enable efficient, safe, and contamination-free transfer of aseptic liquids from sterile product devices through a barrier wall and into a cleanroom or isolator. This design helps the SLTP satisfy Ring of Concern challenges where the Alpha door and Beta assembly meet – an area that's constantly at risk of becoming contaminated. The SLTP overcomes this challenge by allowing the sealing surfaces to be heat sterilized. Other advanced features and benefits of the SLTP include:

Other advanced features of the SRTP include:

CRL offers all its RTPs in 105mm, 190mm, 270mm, and 350mm diameters, corresponding to the Alpha/Beta assembly's opening. Those sizes are also compatible with the various ancillary components available, with the exception of Single-Use Beta Bags, which are currently only available in 190mm.

The nuclear and life science industries must safely and efficiently produce products that meet all standards for purity and consistency. CRL RTPs have proven for the past quarter-century to be reliable companions for those journeying through the nuclear and life science industries.

About The Author: Rob Weber is the manager of projects & proposals for Central Research Laboratories (CRL), a DESTACO company. He can be reached at [email protected] .

Central Research Laboratories (CRL) https://crlsolutions.com

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