What is Glovebox Workstation?
Containment in the pharma industry has been the biggest concern for pharma professionals and is forcing the industry to develop new concepts and designs. Additionally, more robust, customizable, and controllable operations should be developed, given the changing dynamics of the pharma industry.
The glove box is a technology used in the pharma industry to enhance containment during critical processes, in addition to existing containment solutions such as HVAC and clean rooms. It can be used to provide excellent containment for a variety of pharma applications. It offers more flexibility and control over traditional containment options.
The best part of the glove box is that it can be integrated into existing processes, where required, without changing the process life cycle.
What is a glovebox?
A glovebox is an enclosure with built-in gloves on its walls at the side of working area. It is critically designed to cater for the process, and is completely separated from the rest of the environment, room or other methods. It allows personnel to wear them to carry out routine production, manufacturing, and testing processes.
The operator or user inserts their hand in the gloves and performs the required tasks. It also includes a transparent sheet allowing the operator to see inside the glove box. Electronics and electrical controls are also integrated to control various parameters and ensure smooth operation.
Glovebox workstations are used for applications that require complete isolation from the entire environment and the operator. For example, when protecting a sample from contaminants or from itself due to the toxic nature of products (or raw materials). It allows the pharma industry to provide necessary protection parameters instead of arranging for an entire area or room.
Inside a glovebox, it is also possible to maintain specific environmental conditions, i.e. temperature and humidity, that best suit the product or process being carried out.
It is also possible for glove boxes to mount on fixed equipment, such as an injectable filling machine. After completion of the process, the glove box can be demounted from the process equipment for various purposes, such as cleaning
Configuration
There are two standard configurations of glove boxes in which it is operated – under vacuum and positive pressure.
In a vacuum configuration, a vacuum is created inside a chamber that continuously maintains a negative pressure. The purpose of this configuration is to protect operators from toxic air, toxic gases and chemical fumes, by preventing them from going out of the chamber. This configuration is used for harmful and hazardous materials.
In a positive pressure configuration, positive pressure is maintained inside the chamber. It flows the inside fluids into the area of operation, process or production. Its purpose is to protect the items inside, and it is applied for non–toxic and non-hazardous materials.
Parts of the glove box
Some common parts of pharma glove boxes include but are not limited to, the following.
Chamber
The chamber is the main enclosure where the working area is installed. The gloves are placed at the chamber’s side in a way that can easily access the entire working area. It is an area where operators perform all the relevant tasks and processes.
The chamber is sealed air-tight to prevent contamination with the outside environment, foreign bodies or microorganisms. Fluid flow across the chamber is also monitored through appropriate monitoring sensors.
During operation, all process equipment, accessories, instruments and other tools are placed inside the chamber. The size of the chamber depends on the capacity of the glove box.
Gloves
Gloves are attached to one wall of the chamber through airtight ports. They are used by the operators from the outside to manipulate and handle things inside. They are made of rubber, suitable for products, processes, and items dedicated to the pharmaceutical industry. Additionally, these gloves should offer comfort for operators to prevent any operator difficulty.
These gloves are manufactured in a single piece design or glove/sleeve design, and operato...
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