These days several Pharmaceutical companies are moving to single use, flexible film isolators for containment of potent compounds during Pharmaceutical processing. Flexible film isolators have also been used for aseptic processes, like sterility testing. These isolators are a low cost, simple design generally consisting of a stainless steel lower framework which supports a work table and an upper stainless steel framework that supports the flexible enclosure. Typical enclosure material can be polyvinylchloride or polyurethane. The glove sleeves are often made of the same materials and are part of the enclosure. Air passes through inlet and outlet filters. Blowers can be included to create positive or negative air pressure and ports or panels added for introducing or removing items to or from the isolator. These isolators are lightweight, easy to set up, have good visibility and good flexibility while working in the gloves.

Ophthalmic products come in a variety of package formats and have a variety of eye-care applications. The liquid filled package formats are often soft containers with snap on or torque screw caps, but also include foil lidded blister packs for single use contacts. Most contact lens solutions clean, disinfect, lubricate, and remove protein deposits from the lens while matching certain chemical properties of the ocular area. While these solutions may disinfect, similar properties to ocular fluids and increasing resilience of new bacterial and fungal strains make contamination a greater concern. Any breach, channel, or micro leak in the container closure greatly increases the risk of contamination of the ophthalmic solution.

Click here to read case study