As of the writing of this newsletter we are all working to develop contingency plans for how to manage a period of uncertainty around the COVID-19 outbreak, and to reduce the transmission of the virus. Many companies are creating flexible work schedules and instituting work-from-home policies. We want to support this initiative, and are offering our customers satellite licenses so that they can continue to analyze their FlowCam data from remote locations. Please fill out this form to request your 60-day satellite license of VisualSpreadsheet.
Trade shows and conferences continue to change their schedules, many have cancelled or postponed. We're working on developing remote learning opportunities, as well as webinars and other forms of digital communication to keep in touch with our community of users.
In the meantime, please enjoy these updates and stories about FlowCam users around the globe.
Best Regards,
Cybele Brooks
Marketing Manager
Collage of the Quarter
Pictured above: Human cells captured by the FlowCam 8100.
These cells are being studied for the purpose of monoclonal antibody development. The FlowCam was able to differentiate between living and dead cells (the dead cells appear to have white, empty centers).
West Pharma Uses FlowCam for Early Drug Development
West Pharmaceutical Laboratories (Exton, PA) recently published a paper on a streamlined bioanalytical approach to determine the most appropriate primary container system early in drug development. Given the importance of monitoring biological drug and container interactions to ensure drug and patient safety, it is necessary to consider multiple variables when determining drug packaging systems.
VisualSpreadsheet and 21 CFR Part 11 Compliance: Meeting Regulatory Requirements with the FlowCam
VisualSpreadsheet 5 image analysis software (ViSp 5) represents a new platform for FlowCam data organization. Introduced in 2019, our upgraded software moves away from a simple hierarchy of folders and instead utilizes a database structure.
Biopharma labs working in drug development will be excited to learn about the module for fully-integrated compliance with 21 CFR Part 11 regulations mandated by the US FDA.
FlowCam Particle Analysis for Food & Beverage Characterization
When considering how to characterize your subvisible particles for food and beverage production it's important to be able to see the images of different particle types.
Pictured at left: fruit juice sample imaged by the FlowCam.
U-Medico Uses FlowCam to Assess Drug Stability Using Tapered Needles vs. Cylindrical Needles
Injectable biopharmaceuticals, particularly prefilled syringes (PFS), come with risks related to the force of injection, such as patient pain and anxiety. The injection force can often be especially high with PFSs, due to the high viscosity of the contained substances.
Terumo Corporation has recently developed a tapered injection needle in the hopes that it will reduce the force of injection and improve the patient experience, and U-Medico has used the FlowCam as part of their procedure to assess the effects of using these needles vs. traditional cylindrical needles.
FlowCam for Characterization of Column Packing Material
High-performance liquid chromatography is a technique used in analytical chemistry to separate, identify, and quantify each component in a mixture. It relies on pumps that pass a pressurized liquid solvent containing the sample mixture through a column filled with a solid adsorbent material. Each component in the sample interacts slightly differently with the adsorbent material, causing different flow rates for the different components and leading to the separation of the components as they flow out of the column.
Due to popular demand, we are now selling instrument covers for your FlowCam 8100 or 8400 to protect from dust and other contaminants. Contact our customer service team for a quote.
Stephen Habeeb has recently joined our team as our Aftermarket Sales Associate. Steve can help you with new flow cells, new software licenses, and more.
Steve is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, and worked in sales positions in the Boston area for many years. He is now a Maine resident, where he lives with his family and has spent the past several years as a Program Director for a large non-profit agency. In his free time, Steve is a musician, triathlete, and golfer. We're excited to have him join our Customer Care team.