Enhancing Lab Safety with Formaldehyde Absorbent Pads for a Pharmaceutical/Life Science Supplier
Needs Assessment & Solution Summary
Great Lakes Filters collaborated with a leading supplier in the Pharmaceutical/Life Science market to address a critical health and safety need within laboratory environments. The client required a reliable solution to mitigate the risks posed by formaldehyde fumes during tissue sample examinations. These fumes, emitted from tissue samples preserved in formaldehyde solutions, are highly noxious and known carcinogens, posing a significant hazard to lab technicians’ health. Without an effective method to neutralize these vapors, technicians would be exposed to harmful fumes in the laboratory, jeopardizing safety and potentially violating workplace safety regulations.
The client faced operational challenges in supplying biopsy kits that met global safety and compliance standards. They needed a pad that not only absorbed and neutralized formaldehyde vapors effectively, but also integrated seamlessly into their biopsy kits for distribution worldwide. Great Lakes Filters developed a specialized absorbent pad featuring a unique composite material, addressing the client’s critical safety requirements. By handling the production, cutting, and packaging of these pads, Great Lakes Filters enabled the client to provide a safer, globally compliant biopsy kit to their customers while reducing operational complexities.
Project Specifications
These absorbent pads are designed to be included in biopsy kits for medical and research laboratories. During tissue examination, technicians place samples preserved in formaldehyde solution on the pads. The pads actively absorb and neutralize harmful fumes, ensuring the lab environment remains safe and compliant with health and safety standards.
In addition to the pharmaceutical and life sciences markets, other industries that could benefit from this solution include:
Healthcare
Hospitals and diagnostic labs handling tissue preservation or autopsy procedures.
Veterinary Medicine
Laboratories and clinics processing tissue samples from animals.
Education and Research
University labs and academic research facilities working with preserved specimens.
Industrial Manufacturing
Facilities handling formaldehyde or similar volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in their processes.
Chemical
Processing
Environments where formaldehyde or related substances are used in production or analysis.
Great Lakes Filters’ advanced converting facility ensures the production and packaging of absorbent pads at scale, meeting the global demand of the client’s biopsy kits. The facility’s flexibility allows for customized sizes and packaging options to meet specific distribution requirements.
Manufacturing Process
Material Composition
The absorbent pads consist of a three-layer composite material:
Substrate Layer: Provides structural integrity and support for tissue samples.
Neutralizing Media: Contains a super-absorbent material chemically formulated to neutralize formaldehyde vapors.
Vapor-Locking Film: Seals in harmful fumes, preventing their escape into the lab environment.
Cutting and Converting
Pads are precision-cut to meet specific dimensional requirements.
Advanced converting equipment ensures accuracy and efficiency at scale.
Packaging
Pads are packaged in sterile, pharmaceutical-grade materials to ensure compliance with industry standards. Custom packaging configurations are implemented to optimize global distribution.
Quality Control
Great Lakes Filters adhered to stringent quality assurance protocols to meet the client’s rigorous pharmaceutical standards:
Value Delivered
The client gained significant value from Great Lakes Filters’ solution:
By partnering with Great Lakes Filters, the client successfully integrated a critical safety material into their biopsy kits, ensuring the health and well-being of lab technicians while maintaining compliance with regulatory standards. This collaboration underscores Great Lakes Filters’ commitment to innovative solutions in the Pharmaceutical and Life Science markets.