A comparison of several sterile processing techniques, including aseptic isolators, restricted access barrier systems and aseptic Split Butterfly Valve technology has been undertaken by Christian Dunne, ChargePoint Technology.
The
article appears in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing magazine. Here is an extract:
“The
aseptic Spilt Butterfly Valve (SBV) provides a safe method of transferring
product from one container, process vessel, Isolator or RABS to another while
ensuring the sterility of the transfer is not compromised.
Fundamentally,
the SBV consists of two halves, the active (Alpha) unit and the passive (Beta)
unit. Each half consists of half of the ‘butterfly’ disc. The active unit is
attached to the stationary process equipment such as a mixing vessel, while the
passive unit is attached to the mobile container such as an intermediate bulk
container (IBC) or flexible bag. When the two parts are brought together, the
discs halves join to form a single disc, sealing any surfaces which may have
been exposed to a compound during transfer. The two discs then operate as one
disc and can be opened to allow transfer of product from one location to
another.”
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle