Posts by Rachel Kohn
How to Safely Clean Surgical Implants with IPA
Strict guidelines apply to the cleanliness of surgical implants to assure there are no residual contaminants that can cause infection or other issues after patients are discharged. A very effective cleaning solvent for surgical implants is isopropyl alcohol (IPA). This is because it evaporates quickly, is relatively non-toxic and, importantly, dries residue free.
Ultrasonic cleaners are widely used for cleaning surgical implants after manufacturing because of their speed and effectiveness in removing contaminants. But using IPA in an ultrasonic cleaner requires special precautions and equipment because IPA is a flammable liquid.
This post describes how to safely clean surgical implants with IPA.
We’ll cover:
- A quick definition of flammable liquids
- Special considerations to safely clean surgical implants
- Defining a hazardous location
- Equipment selection suggestions
- Workplace precautions
Flammable Liquids Defined
Flammable liquids, also termed volatile solvents, are ranked by what is called their flash points. In brief, the lower the flashpoint … Read the rest
How to Choose a Strain Gauge Load Monitor
Load monitoring devices, also called load cell sensors or tension monitors, measure the force exerted by the load on equipment, structural members or other components subjected to the load. Electronic load and tension monitoring devices find application across a broad spectrum of industry. One example is on construction cranes to assure the load – such as I-beams or fresh-mixed concrete – does not exceed the capacity of the crane. Another application is measuring the strain on wires strung between pylons or insuring that structural components on aircraft are balanced and safe to fly.
Load cells such as the Straightpoint Loadlink and Radiolink equipment available from Tovatech can also be used as crane scales and thus are employed for tension monitoring and weighing.
How a Strain Gauge Load Monitor Works
Using the Straightpoint load and tension monitor and a building crane as the application, the device is positioned between two lifting … Read the rest
Hot Weather Precautions for Laboratory Refrigerators
Unprecedented heat waves across much of the country place strains on laboratory refrigerators and laboratory freezers even if they are in air conditioned research labs and medical facilities. Power cutbacks and power failures due to excessive strain on the power grid and electrical storms should be anticipated by lab personnel. Provision should be made to protect costly or rare biological samples, vaccines, and other temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and products.
10 Tips on Proper Lab Fridge and Lab Freezer Operation
Your organization should have standard operating procedures for stocking and maintaining laboratory refrigerators and freezers. These are especially important when atmospheric conditions could lead to sub-par performance. Here are some useful tips to help ensure content protection in medical grade refrigerators and freezers during the dog days of summer. Or anytime for that matter. They are not listed in order of importance because all are important.
- Minimize access to the units. Every
Residual Contaminant Analysis with Ultrasound
For residual contaminant analysis particles must be removed from the test item before the actual analysis is carried out. Ultrasound with its predefined parameters is a suitable and cost-saving method for this. After removal solid contaminants can be filtered and analyzed. Soluble contaminants are concentrated by evaporation then analyzed.
The right ultrasonic equipment coupled with thought-through accessories is crucial for a successful analysis. The Elmasonic Select 120 ultrasonic cleaner available from Tovatech, along with sample suspension devices, provide an ideal method for residual contaminant analysis.
Several methods are available to protect products from recontamination. For example, parts being analyzed can be placed in glass beakers or test tubes containing a suitable solution. These are suspended in the ultrasonic cleaner solution. Ultrasound transmitted from liquid in the tank to the solution in the container acts on and removes the residual contaminants for subsequent analysis.
Contact the scientists at Tovatech … Read the rest
IP65-Rated Platform Scales Solve Multiple Weighing Tasks
Platform scales are workhorses of weighing, often finding themselves in environments that cause less rugged weighing systems to fail. The new Kern SFE platform scales, now available from Tovatech, build on the ruggedness and reliability of platform scale weighing systems. Their silicon-coated load cells and separate free-standing or wall mounted stainless steel control panel/display units are packaged in IP65-rated housings. This means these high-precision but rugged platform balances are totally protected against dust. When exterior surfaces need cleaning they resist low-pressure jets of water.*
Three Models with Readouts of <1 oz
SFE platform scales provide maximum weighing to 15, 30 and 60 kg (33, 66 and 132 pounds). Respective readouts are 5, 10 and 20 grams (all less than one ounce). Easy-to-follow instructions allow operators to use the control panel to perform a variety of weighing tasks including recipe, tolerance, and animal/dynamic. … Read the rest
Selecting an Entry-Level Single Cell Analytical Balance
An analytical balance is one of the more precise weighing and measuring tools available to industrial and academic research organizations. Laboratory balances equipped with single cell weighing systems have traditionally represented the high end of these precision weighing systems but at a cost premium. Technology advances have changed that, as evidenced by the new Kern ABS/ABJ series of analytical balances available from Tovatech.
What is Single Cell Weighing?
Simply stated, these systems use a single block of material such as aluminum as the weighing mechanism as opposed to multiple-component conventional balances. Because they have no moving parts there is no wear and tear. As a result these balances continue to perform well for a longer time than scales with conventional weighing mechanisms.
Other important advantaged include improvements in accuracy, precision, speed and reproducibility of weight values due in no small part to … Read the rest
How to Judge Scale Accuracy
At Tovatech we frequently find that customers are confused about weighing terms associated with analytical scales and precision balances, especially as it relates to scale accuracy. This comes as no surprise to us because, in fact, the terminology is confusing. Different manufacturers of analytical balances will use different weighing terms, some of them incorrect, by the way, to describe the performance and accuracy of their products. When you evaluate electronic scales you should compare the performance of a specific manufacturer’s products against each other rather than with those of different manufacturers.
Why Weighing Terms are Important
The importance of scale accuracy applies to many weighing operations across the weighing spectrum from moisture analyzers to counting scales. Some applications are more important than others. For example, you might tolerate a small degree of inaccuracy when weighing out a quantity of … Read the rest
How to Select an Ultra Low Temperature Freezer
Ultra low temperature freezers generally operate between user-set ranges from -40⁰C to -86⁰C whereas models described as low temperature laboratory freezers can be set from -10⁰C to -40⁰C, depending on make and model. Ultra low freezers such as the Norlake Ultra-Low Select models available from Tovatech are used to support product protection and performance testing across a range of life science and manufacturing operations. Available in 19, 23.2 and 27.5 cubic foot capacities, the Nor-Lake models are ideal for applications such as preserving rare or costly biological specimens and testing equipment that must perform reliably under conditions of severe cold to -86⁰C.
Spec Tips for Ultra Low Temp Freezers
Keep in mind that the lower you set the thermostat on an ultra low temperature freezer the more energy it consumes to maintain that temperature. Match the temperature capability to storage or environmental testing recommendations. Norlake Ultra-Low Select upright freezers allow … Read the rest
How to Improve Ultrasonic Cleaner Performance
Ultrasonic cavitation is a proven cleaning technique used throughout industry to quickly and safely remove grit, grime, grease, and other contaminants on products ranging from delicate laboratory glassware and surgical instruments to steel and iron castings and forgings. Performed in an ultrasonic cleaner such as the Elmasonic series available from Tovatech, cavitation occurs in a cleaning solution when generator-powered ultrasonic transducers create billions of minute bubbles that implode with tremendous force upon contact with objects being cleaned.
While there are many ways you can improve ultrasonic cleaning performance here are some examples.
A. Ultrasonic Frequency
The frequency of ultrasonic cleaning is measured in kilohertz and generally ranges upwards from 25,000 (25 kHz) cycles per second. Low frequencies create relatively large cavitation bubbles and more vigorous cleaning action. As frequencies increase to 37, 40, 45, 130 kHz and higher, cavitation bubbles become smaller, cleaning action gentler and the ability to penetrate … Read the rest
How to Achieve Precision Weighing with an Analytical Balance
An analytical balance is a precision instrument requiring much more care and attention than industrial scales and balances used outside academic and industrial research and QC labs. Analytical balances also represent a substantial investment with prices depending on weighing range, readout, reproducibility and linearity. For these and other reasons lab personnel should understand how and how not to use these instruments, thereby maintaining equipment accuracy and extending equipment life. Here are some basic steps to follow. The balance operations manual, however, is the authority in all cases.
Setting Up an Analytical Balance
As Maria sings in “The Sound of Music” let’s start at the very beginning. Setup instructions for Kern analytical balances offered by Tovatech stress the importance of location, which ideally will be permanent.
Before unpacking the precision scale select a firm level surface remote from extreme heat, temperature fluctuations, direct sunlight, … Read the rest
