Ultrasonic cleaning laboratories instruments in pharmaceutical industry
Ultrasonic cleaning is widely used in the pharmaceutical and laboratory settings for its effectiveness in removing contaminants and ensuring thorough cleaning of equipment, instruments, and glassware.
The use of ultrasonic technology in these environments offers several benefits:
- Deep Cleaning: Ultrasonic cleaning utilizes high-frequency sound waves to create microscopic bubbles in a cleaning solution. These bubbles collapse near the surfaces being cleaned, generating intense scrubbing action called cavitation. This process reaches into the smallest crevices, effectively removing dirt, particles, and residues that may not be easily accessible with other cleaning methods.
- Contamination Control: In pharmaceutical and laboratory settings, maintaining a contamination-free environment is crucial. Ultrasonic cleaning helps eliminate various contaminants, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, proteins, oils, and other organic and inorganic substances, from equipment and glassware. This reduces the risk of cross-contamination and ensures the integrity of test results and pharmaceutical products.
- Non-Destructive Cleaning: Ultrasonic cleaning is a gentle process that does not cause damage to delicate laboratory instruments and glassware. It effectively removes contaminants without compromising the integrity, functionality, or accuracy of the cleaned items.
- Time and Labor Efficiency: Ultrasonic cleaning offers a time-efficient solution, reducing the cleaning time required for complex laboratory equipment, glassware, and small components. The scrubbing action provided by the microscopic bubbles enhances cleaning effectiveness, minimizing the need for manual scrubbing and reducing labor costs.
- Versatility: Ultrasonic cleaners can accommodate a wide range of equipment and glassware, including beakers, flasks, pipettes, test tubes, syringes, and even small instrument components. With adjustable cleaning parameters, ultrasonic cleaning can be tailored to suit specific requirements and materials, ensuring optimal cleaning results.
- Compliance with Regulations: The pharmaceutical and laboratory sectors are subject to strict regulatory guidelines and standards, such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). Ultrasonic cleaning systems can be validated and qualified to meet these regulations, providing documented evidence of their effectiveness in removing contaminants.
- Environmental Considerations: Ultrasonic cleaning typically requires less water and cleaning agents compared to traditional cleaning methods. This contributes to reduced water consumption and the use of potentially harmful chemicals, making ultrasonic cleaning a more environmentally friendly option.
It is important to note that while ultrasonic cleaning is effective for many applications in the pharmaceutical and laboratory sectors, there may be specific considerations and limitations depending on the equipment or glassware being cleaned. Manufacturers’ guidelines and recommendations should be followed to ensure compatibility and optimize cleaning results.
Overall, ultrasonic cleaning is a valuable tool in the pharmaceutical and laboratory settings, offering efficient, thorough, and non-destructive cleaning. It aids in maintaining a clean and sterile environment, contributing to accurate test results, reliable research outcomes, and the production of high-quality pharmaceutical products.
Our laboratory ultrasonic cleaner is used to remove traces of chemical products, oils, etc. It is designed for instruments and laboratory materials made of glass, plastic or metal. Ultrasonic cleaning machines are used in laboratories to remove traces of chemical products, oils, pigments or prints and other residues.
Complex parts with cracks, difficult access points or joints are removed without damaging them. This reduces the time and effort required for manual cleaning. In combination with cleaning, they can also be used for degassing solvents and spraying solid samples.
Removes organic and inorganic traces from instruments as a preliminary step for subsequent efficient cleaning of surgical and medical instruments used in surgery, ophthalmology and veterinary medicine. Removes both organic and inorganic traces from instruments as a preliminary step for subsequent effective disinfection and sterilization.
The outcome is much better than manual cleaning, even with gloves, as the exposure of the instruments to liquids is increased. It also minimizes the possibility of injury from contaminated sharps.
How ultrasonic cleaning works?
Ultrasonic cleaning by cavitation might sound like a complicated or even scientific method of cleaning. But let us assure you, once you understand the process of it, it is actually pretty simple.
Ultrasonic cleaning is a fast and effective cleaning method which uses ultrasound energy and with the help of additional cleaning concentrates penetrates deep into the pores of any subject.
It provides thorough removal of unwanted soils from the items undergoing ultrasonic waves penetration. This cleaning method is one of the most recent and efficient ways of dirt removal from different kinds of objects. Ultrasonic cleaning method is based on a cavitation effect.
Cavitation
Cavitation is a process of fast formation and dissipation of micro bubbles in a liquid environment. The effect takes place when the ultrasonic waves are passing through the liquid. Ultrasound (high frequency sound, most commonly used from 28 to 100 kHz) generates the alternating high and low pressure waves which produce tiny bubbles (cavities). They start growing from microscopic size at the low pressure phase until they compress and then implode at the high pressure phase.
The molecules in the liquid collide releasing a massive amount of energy. The energy instantly increases the local temperature producing a high-energy stream aimed at the surface of the object. The bubbles have enormous energy which is targeted and its release lifts contamination off the surface of the objects you are cleaning.
Cavitation process is the basis of ultrasonic cleaning.
Emission of ultrasound waves through liquid causes cavitation – formation of microscopic bubbles in liquid. When these bubbles hit the object surface they implode releasing energy that separates impurities from objects surface. Small size of bubbles enables them to penetrate cracks, holes, pores, perforations and undulations that are hard to reach when cleaning manually. Cavitation removes debris such as dust, dirt, oil, pigment, rust, grease, algae, fungi, bacteria, lime, soot, wax and so on. Materials suitable for cleaning in ultrasonic cleaner are metal, plastic, glass, ceramic and rubber. For optimal cleaning results we recommend solution of distilled water and specially formulated ultrasonic cleaning concentrates.
Use of ultrasonic cleaner is extremely simple.
Put items for cleaning in supplied basket. Carefully place the basket with items in ultrasonic cleaner. Fill the tank with distilled water or cleaning concentrate solution. Submerge all items in cleaning solution. Set the desired cleaning temperature and activate the tank heater. When liquid in tank reaches the set temperature, the heater will turn off. Set ultrasound timer in accordance with requirements of the cleaning process, depending on the type and degree of soiling on the cleaning item. Once cleaning is complete, wait for liquid to cool down and then carefully remove basket with items. Rinse items with clean water. Drain soiled cleaning liquid from ultrasonic cleaner. Use a soft cloth to wipe the tank.
Cleaning concentrates
ASonic ultrasonic cleaning concentrates have specialized chemical composition which boosts the cleaning process and need to be used according to the special needs of the parts to be cleaned.
ASonic ultrasonic cleaning concentrates are designed not only for professional/industrial use, but hobbyist use as well.
Cleaner | Type of impurity | Cleaning material | Dilution % | Recommended temp. |
AS-ENZ | Protein residues, fatty deposits, dried blood and other organic materials | Stainless steel, metals, glass and plastic | 10% | 20-70°C |
AS-UCP | General impurities, dried blood, tissue residues, oxidation | Glassware and hard surfaces | 25g 5L | 20-60°C |