January, 2008, Wrightwood, CA - Van der Stahl Scientific announces that, after a 7-year developmental process, they have been granted their second US patent for a device for the visual inspection of sterile device packaging. The company boasts that this visual inspection tool called VIU® will create a needed repeatable standard for the visual inspection of sterile pack films.

The VIU® Visual Inspection Tool utilizes a low-angle light wash across the seal area of a medical pouch such as Mylar to TyVek® pouch. The system further uses 3X magnification and these two functions work in concert to create a repeatable standard that can be evaluated against standards such as the ASTM F 1886-98. Company spokesman Charlie A. Webb states that the “low angle of light is key to exaggerating the seal topography in order to determine possible channels or fissures as well as pleats and peaks.” Webb states “Historically medical device packagers, when authoring SOPs for visual inspection, have been somewhat vague in terms of what methodology they might utilize during the visual inspection of such a seal. A host of ambient light environments as well as aided and unaided magnification have been counter to the aim of standardizing this process.”

Van der Stahl Scientific, Inc hopes companies will utilize their system to better harmonize under the spirit of standardization. The company also plans to incorporate the visual inspection system within the Viu Medical Device Packaging Machine in order to further enhance the in process testing and inspection of terminally sterile pouches. The company plans production of this device in the 1st or 2nd quarter of 2008. For additional information regarding the Viu Visual Inspection Box, you’re asked to contact customer service at 1-800-550-3854.

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TyVek is a registered trademark of the DuPont Corporation.