PITTSBURGH, January, 21 2014 — Gateway Analytical announced today that they have acquired the RapID SPE-ls raman.ID + metal.ID® system, the latest technology in automated particle identification. This acquisition enhances existing analytical service offerings to the pharmaceutical and materials science industries, and makes Gateway one of only two analytical service laboratories in the United States that can offer this advanced technology.
In 2013, Gateway identified that in order to stay ahead of constant industry demands for faster particulate identification analysis; it would be advantageous to invest in a combined Raman / Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system. This technology complements their existing technology services portfolio, which includes optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Raman Chemical Imaging, SEM/EDS, and FTIR.
The addition of the RapID system provides Gateway with the added ability to offer customers a fully automated and cost effective way to characterize large populations of particles. Information, such as count, size, distribution and chemical makeup of organic and inorganic particles down to 2 μm in size, can be quickly collected using this system. The system starts by collecting an optical montage of the entire sample region, and then performs Raman analysis on a specified number of particles. The Raman and LIBS spectra are automatically searched against a spectral database. Any particles that are not Raman active, such as metals, can then be characterized using LIBS technology.
“The addition of the RapID system allows us to fill the gap that was missing between where formulation development services end and manufacturing quality analytical support begins,” said David Exline, VP of Gateway Analytical. “This powerful combination of automated Raman/LIBS opens the door for us to an even broader range of application services across the pharmaceutical and materials science industries, from foreign particle control in parenterals and medical devices to raw materials testing.” Exline continued, “Essentially, this technology is applicable to any application where the customer needs to know their particle size distribution or needs identification of a foreign particulate, which makes this a robust addition to our laboratory.”
Gateway Analytical is a full service, FDA registered and inspected laboratory with specialized expertise in techniques for chemically specific particle sizing and particulate contamination identification. The lab is cGMP compliant, following 21 CFR parts 210 & 211, 21 CFR part 820, and ICH Q7. Accreditations include ISO 9001:2008, ISO 17025:2005, and ASCLD/LAB-International.
