Weighing and Analysis in the Laboratory

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LabAnalytical solutions in the laboratory

Excellence Plus!Balance Detects Natural Disasters

When quality and accuracy is an integral part of your business it is critical

that the correct equipment is used for all processes. The METTLER TOLEDO

XP205 Balance established its worth recently for Cerilliant Corporation,

a company known for setting quality standards in the field of analytical

reference standards.

Accurate Balances Critical to BusinessMonday August 3rd 2009 was a seem-ingly normal start to the week for Kevin Gates, senior technician with Cerilliant Corporation, a producer of analyti-cal reference standards, but something very unusual occurred. One of Kevin’s projects included investigating options for upgrading all of Cerilliant’s critical balances to ensure all weighings meet the USP relative error requirement of 0.1%. After fully researching the options, Cerilliant selected METTLER TOLEDO as their vendor of choice for the upgrade of all of their critical balances. As an ISO Guide 34 and ISO/ IEC 17025 accredited company, Cerilliant Corporation has the strictest tolerances for their mass mea-surements which is one reason why their

standards department is equipped with METTLER TOLEDO balances.

Outside Disturbance Sparks Questions The strange occurrence that took place on that August morning involved one of Cerilliant’s XP205s, which is part of the Excellence Plus line of balances. Kevin returned from lunch and one of Ceril-liant’s technicians, Mike Plangklang, informed him that the XP205 would not stabilize and that he needed assistance in resolving whatever issue there might be. Kevin observed the reading on the XP205 jumping quickly back and forth by about ±1 mg, then slowing down and rapidly jumping up again. There were no signs of any local disturbances such as drafts, vibrations or electromagnetic interfer-

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Map portraying August 3 Earthquakes in the Gulf of California.

Publisher Mettler-Toledo AG Laboratory Division Im Langacher CH-8606 Greifensee, Switzerland

Production Segment Marketing LABGlobal MarCom Switzerland

Subject to technical changes. © Mettler-Toledo AG 02/10 Printed in Switzerland.

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ceences that could be the cause of this odd behavior. After checking the other labs, it was evident that this was not an isolated incident and was also occurring in Ceril-liant’s other labs with the XP205s and, to a lesser degree, with the XP1203S. After about 30 minutes all balances had sta-bilized but the cause remained unclear.

Kevin’s theory for this rare occurrence was that there may have been some dis-turbance with the building’s power sup-ply or that maybe some gravitation or magnetic anomaly was about to happen.

Balances Detect Earthquakes More than a Thousand Miles Away Since Cerilliant is located in Round Rock, Texas (outside of Austin), Kevin never ex-pected the reason would be an earthquake – in fact more than one! The even more amazing aspect of this story is that the earthquakes occurred in the Gulf of Cali-fornia over a thousand miles away. The images on the map show when and where the earthquakes occurred.

Cerilliant CEO, Sherri Pogue was im-pressed by this discovery, “At Cerilliant, we strive to continually improve our processes to ensure we are offering our customers the very best products possible. We also recognize that analytical results can only be as good as the calibrators used. One critical element of preparing any reference standard is the weighing operation which includes balance selec-tion and qualification as well as estab-lishing minimum weighings and proper technique. Each of these elements, if not properly controlled, can lead to sig-nificant error and reference uncertainty. We are very pleased with our choice of METTLER TOLEDO’s Excellence Plus Balances and the level of service provided. This upgrade has played a key role in our ability to provide highly accurate quan-titative reference solutions suitable for critical applications. I knew METTLER TOLEDO’s balances were the right choice for preparing accurate quantitative ref-erence standards but didn’t know they could be used to detect earthquakes!”

www.mt.com/xp-analytical

About Cerilliant

Cerilliant Corporation, located in Round Rock, Texas, is a global leader in providing analytical refer-ence standards to the analytical testing community. The company has been providing certified ref-erence materials for almost 30 years. Cerilliant offers more than 3,400 catalog products and a full range of custom products and services that address the stringent and complex requirements of the forensic/toxicology, diagnostic/clinical, environmental, natural products and pharmaceutical industries. Cerilliant sustains a modern, robust quality system which incorporates cGMP, GLP and ISO requirements. Cerilliant is accredited to ISO Guide 34 and ISO/IEC 17025 and certified to ISO 9001:2000.

For more information about this company, please visit: www.cerilliant.com.

Kevin Gates, senior technician at Cerilliant Corporation, runs tests on an XP205 Bal-ance.

3METTLER TOLEDO Lab News 6

Comprehensive Pipette Calibration Solutions Maintaining ISO Certification

Regular, documented pipette calibration is essential for medical labo-

ratories to maintain the standards required for ISO certification. The

Center for Biomedical Technology Research at Nantes University Hos-

pital in France has chosen METTLER TOLEDO’s pipette calibration solu-

tions to routinely calibrate its pipettes on a continual basis.

A need for calibrationIt is essential for medical laboratories to ensure the accuracy of their pipet-ting apparatus in order to maintain the high quality standards required for cer-tification to ISO standards (ISO 9001, ISO 15189 and ISO 8655). The manage-ment of a rigorous pipette calibration schedule that also provides all the neces-sary regulatory documentation can be a labor intensive and time-consuming task. For these reasons, the Center for Biomedi-cal Technology Research at Nantes Univer-sity Hospital has established an efficient and cost-effective calibrating regime, based on METTLER TOLEDO’s range of pipette calibration solutions. The Center has thoroughly evaluated the systems for managing the performance of over 1,000 pipettes routinely in use for pipetting low volumes, as well as a variety of specialized molecular biology applications.

Achieving High StandardsAlain Brousse, a medical technology executive at the Center, explained the rea-sons behind the project, “Each laboratory must carry out maintenance and calibra-tion of its pipettes at regular intervals in order to comply with ISO 8655. With

so many pipettes, it is essential to have defined calibration procedures to ensure precision and accuracy.”

As part of the evaluation process, the Center extensively tested the XP26PC and MCP1-S pipette calibration systems and Calibry software, exploring the practical-ity and performance of the instruments, as well as the software’s data tracking and database management capabilities. “Our main priority when choosing a pi-pette calibration system was to reduce the time required for a technician to service a pipette. In our experience, the key fac-tors for achieving this are ease of use, ac-curacy and a rapid stabilization time. We found that XP26PC and MCP1-S achieved extremely high standards in all these ar-eas, improving the calibration service we are able to offer and easing pressure on resources. The MCP1-S offers the further advantage of accelerating multichan-nel pipette calibration, with a precision and accuracy comparable to many single channel instruments. The Calibry software too is extremely comprehensive and easy to use, providing the user with a straight-forward database management which can be configured to reporting requirements.”

Essential time savings and reliabilityAlain Brousse added, “We have now cho-sen METTLER TOLEDO’s pipette calibra-tion solutions based on the time saving features, excellent reliability and intuitive user interface they offer. Together with in-tegration of maintenance records and full calibration history of individual pipettes, these factors ensure accuracy and provide high quality results in all our laboratories which, ultimately, improve patient care.”

www.mt.com/pipcal

Laboratory assistant, Karline Nourtel, checks the calibration of a pipette using the XP26PC Balance.

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Boost Productivity within MinutesTo achieve a large crop yield, the agricul-ture sector needs seeds with an optimal moisture content as this significantly de-termines expected storage life and germi-nation. The reference method of the Inter-national Seed Testing Association (ISTA) for moisture determination is the drying oven – a time consuming procedure re-quiring between one and 18 hours. Such a long time period is often not available when, for instance, shipments have to be cleared at goods-in. To boost productiv-ity, the leading European plant breeding company Deutsche Saatveredelung AG in Lippstadt, Germany, compared the reference method drying oven with three alternative instruments. Two of these in-struments are based on the loss-on-dry-ing principle including the HR83 Halo-gen Moisture Analyzer from METTLER TOLEDO with the third instrument apply-ing a capacitive measuring method.

Suitable for a Variety of SeedsSeeds of 5 species were tested, includ-ing at least 2 different cultivars for each species, covering the full moisture range (6 - 30 % MC*). The study shows that while all three instruments meet the tol-erances, the METTLER TOLEDO HR83 achieves the best correlation to the drying oven with outstanding repeatability over the entire moisture range of all analyzed species. As Katrin Boedecker, head of the quality lab, summarizes, “The advantages of the HR83 are not only the accuracy of moisture determination but also that the analysis is very fast and simple to carry out. This allows us to decide straight away if the delivered seeds can be stored or have to be dried for correct storage. We save time and money because no temporary storage place is needed until the moisture results are available.”

www.mt.com/HR83

Moisture in Seeds Essential for Best Storage Conditions

The moisture content of seeds determines storage life and germina-

tion. Deutsche Saatveredelung AG conducted a study to find a suitable

sample measurement replacement for the drying oven and chose the

HR83 Halogen Moisture Analyzer from METTLER TOLEDO as

the best instrument for the task.

*MC: moisture content

Katrin Boedecker, head of the quality lab.

HR83Seeds to be tested.

5METTLER TOLEDO Lab News 6

Perfumes made in Italy has been a truly successful story spreading

optimism with an operating commercial network spanning from Italy to

Russia and being amongst the best 100 companies in the province of

Milan. The beginning, however, was not so bright.

GRC Parfum – a Company in Full SwingIn 1998, plans were afoot to close the site with production transferred to other countries; a development not at all to the satisfaction of Silvano Corlazzoli. Coura-geously, he made a management buyout and purchased the factory. Renamed GRC Parfum, the now family owned company tripled its sales from 1998 to 2007 and made huge investments into plant in-frastructure and staff with the latter, ac-cording to Corlazzoli, being one of the main assets of the company. Devoted to continuous innovation, operator safety and progress, the newest production site is highly automated. 33 km of steel tubing transport more than 1600 different raw materials to the mixing machine which fabricates around one million kilograms of final products annually. These produc-tion conditions require a finely tuned

quality control system and equipment that can easily deal with the continuous flow of test samples.

Instruments that Fulfill RequirementsDensity and refractive index determina-tions are the two most commonly used values to monitor the quality of incom-ing and outgoing goods and GRC Parfum relies on the METTLER TOLEDO DR40 combined meter with sample automation for this task. This benchtop instrument successfully fulfills the requirements of modern quality laboratories with ease. Small sample quantities in tightly closed vials are placed onto the sample changer. The analysis is then started, the measure-

Odour QualityMETTLER TOLEDO Takes Charge

ment values retrieved and the whole sys-tem cleaned automatically. Other quality parameters, such as pH, conductivity and color measurements can easily be in-cluded into the sample loop saving pre-cious time and sample substance. In the case of GRC Parfum, the measured values are directly exported to a LIMS system using LIQC software which greatly im-proves data handling security. "’Made in Italy’ is highly estimated in the world of perfume – a recognition of our quality", says Letizia Corlazzoli, responsible logistics and acquisition. Similarly, METTLER TOLEDO is esteemed for its amazing solutions in the analytical world.

www.mt.com/LiQC

Modern building of GRC Parfum.

Dario Volpones, Perfumer of GRC Parfum.

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The need for efficiency optimization within quality control increasingly leads to automated laboratory analysis systems. Furthermore, new instruments have to fulfil common GMP regulations and com-ply with certain documentation require-ments in regulated environments.

A new generation of video supported melt-ing point instruments addresses all these requirements by offering:

• Access control and method protectionthrough password authorization

• Pharmacopeia compliant temperaturevalues and true endpoint detection

• Saving results permanently i.e. highresolution color videos of the melting process with temperature display

• Convenient direct result files trans-fer i.e. videos, intensity data and PDF reports via PC network for archiving purposes

• CustomizablereportsaccordingtoGMPwith signature fields which make the release process easier

• Installation, instrument qualificationand re-qualification service based on logbook with IQ/OQ (=EQPac)

The instruments are also very easy to op-erate thanks to One Click™ technology as one click is all that is needed to start a pre-programmed analysis work flow. A work flow can include conformity checks and automatic result printing.

The new fully automatic METTLER TOLEDO Melting Point Systems are ide-ally suited to API quality control. The MP Systems provide maximum security through password authorization. Further-more, they offer optimal documentation with re-playable videos including tem-perature display via a PC network trans-fer. This guarantees the reliability of both melting points and melting ranges.

www.mt.com/one-click-melting

Identification of Active Pharmaceutical IngredientsIn Quality Control

The melting point is without doubt the most commonly applied method

in materials characterization. Melting point analysis is widespread in

the pharmaceutical industry’s quality control labs as many monogra-

phies of several pharmacopoeias list a melting point determination as

one of the identification methods. The Excellence melting point sys-

tem ensures safe and easy quality control.

Figure 1. Login screen with password authorization.

Figure 2. Image from a melting video with temperature display.

Figure 3. GMP compliant report.Figure 4. Excellence Melting Point Systems

EQPac.

7METTLER TOLEDO Lab News 6

Simultaneous 96-Well PipettingWithout the Complication of Robotics

Although robotics are available to fully automate pipetting in 96- and 384-well formats, they are not always appropriate for academic labs, which generally don’t have sufficient throughput or budget to justify the cost, set up time, and extra training that fully automated systems require.

The ergonomic Liquidator 96 system ad-dresses the academic lab’s need for fast, high-performance manual pipetting and can be used by anyone in the lab, without retraining or excessive risk of repetitive stress injuries.

The system’s small footprint and stable design allow it to go easily from the lab bench to a laminar flow cabinet, support-ing workflows that require sterile condi-tions or involve hazardous materials.

Contamination-Free PerformanceHigh-quality results in any lab depend on many factors, including the use of tips that are free of contamination. Optional filters in the BioClean™ tips used with the Liquidator 96 system further support data integrity in the academic lab. Testing by internal and external labs ensures that RAININ BioClean™ tips used are free of contamination with DNase, RNase, DNA, pyrogen, and ATP.

Major Time SavingsThe major time saving of the Liquidator 96 becomes clear in projects that require filling a medium number of 96-well plates. Set-up time required for the Liqui-dator 96 is close to zero. Sample prepara-tion is minimal, and plate filling speed is directly under the user’s control. For simple growth medium or buffers, plate filling can be at the user’s fastest speed – 10 seconds for a 96-well plate.

This high speed filling also has an added advantage when using the system to start a 96-well kinetic experiment – that is, starting all 96 samples at exactly the same time. For more viscous fluids, or those that require more care (such as solutions that might tend to form bubbles easily), the user can easily aspirate and dispense more slowly.

Many life science research projects require liquid handling in

standard 96- or 384-well formats. Statistical relevance of study

data depends on each well being filled with precisely the same

amount of liquid. Now, there’s a manual bench-top solution for

researcher who want fast, reliable alternatives to hand-held

pipettes or overly complicated robotic systems.

The Perfect SolutionFor many applications, particularly ge-nomic research, 384-well plates have become a more frequently used platform, increasing the number of studies requir-ing plate filling in preparation for QPCR (or real-time PCR) experiments. For labs performing these and other studies, the Liquidator 96 is an effective and unique alternative to hand-held and fully auto-mated systems.

www.mt.com/liquidator96

96-well can be accurately filled in less than 20 seconds.

Stable, hand-friendly design with low-force tip ejection.

Liquidator 96

8 METTLER TOLEDO Lab News 6

Onl

ine

Tool

s Optimize Your BusinessWith METTLER TOLEDO Online Tools

There are several ways to enhance business workflow in order to increase overall productivity whilst simultaneously decreas-ing costs. Our internet page dedicated to productivity is a great online tool for supporting business optimization.

• Discover product solutions that support productivity (see example), automation, flexibility and mobility.

• Browseourinvestmentcalculatorsandcalculatesavingsdirectly online.

• Useourwebinarstodiscoverhowtoimprovespecific technical knowledge.

Make use of our productivity internet page as a business optimization resource: www.mt.com/lab-productivity

Optimize your business online

Try our online investment calculators

Tailored titrimetric analysisThe titration Excellence line’s modular design with its sophisticated plug and play method allows each system to be exactly adapted to highly specific needs.

Calculate savings online: www.mt.com/titration-Excellence-ROI

Enhanced DSC/TGA sample processingImprove analysis accuracy and speed with the automatic processing of 34 samples and simultaneous crucible opening prior to measurement.

Calculate savings online: www.mt.com/ta-value-calculator

9METTLER TOLEDO Lab News 6

Workflows are advanced by applying the latest trends and technologies. Our webinars offer the opportunity to receive specific information on our products and applications whilst reporting on the newest and most advanced methods and standards.

Live webinarsAppreciate the direct exchange with industry experts and get information in real-time with our live webinars. This offers the opportunity of receiving, information directly from one of our specialists. Additionally, experts are able to answer ques-tions immediately after each presentation.

Update knowledge online and always stay one step ahead

On demand webinarsChoose the flexibility of where and when to update knowl-edge with the latest information. Our on demand webinars offer the choice of listening to a selection of pre-prepared interesting topics anytime and anywhere. In addition this offers the possibility of accessing the webcast as many times as required.

Choose between:• Live webinars • On demand webinars

Enhancing safety in the workplace: Automated powder dosing of hazardous compoundsLearn how Quantos’ automated powder dosing reduces the risks involved in handling active and potent drug compounds. www.mt.com/quantos-webinars

One example of our broad webinar offering:

Explore our full Webinar program on www.mt.com/webinar

10 METTLER TOLEDO Lab News 6

Prod

uct N

ews New Signature Line

Guaranteed Positive Tolerances

Accurate weighing results are crucial to quality

control labs and, whilst routine balance testing

increases safety and measurement accuracy, a

more in-depth balance calibration is advisable

for critical processes. METTLER TOLEDO’s unique

electrolytic adjustment process ensures that weights

are manufactured within a positive tolerance range

to successfully deal with such enhanced testing

requirements.

Guaranteed Positive TolerancesThe unique electrolytic adjustment pro-cedure, combined with robotic calibra-tion, allows the selective production of weights in the positive tolerance range.

Full Lifetime Guarantee‘Stay-in-tolerance’ lifetime guarantee means exactly that; if a weight is found to have fallen out of tolerance it will be replaced free of charge.

Made inSwitzerlandUnequaled Swiss quality means weights made from vacuum melted, premium stainless steel for an extended life span.

www.mt.com/signature-line

11METTLER TOLEDO Lab News 6

One Click™ Standard Preparation Powered by LabX™

In the laboratory standard solu-

tions are prepared several times

on a daily basis. For example,

an accurate solution is a critical

requirement for chromatographic

analyses in quality control and can

take up to 15 minutes to prepare.

One Click™ Standard Preparation

powered by LabX completes all

calculations and documentation

automatically making the whole

process significantly faster and

worry-free.

The method is started with the One Click™ shortcut on the balance touchscreen. LabX™ guides the user step-by-step through the process on the balance, performs calculations automatically, and takes care of saving all data. The complete solution can be tailored to match individual process requirements.

www.mt.com/one-click-weighing

One Click™ StartEnter the desired concentration.

Required weight of substance is calcu-lated automatically.

WeighErgoClip for direct dosing into flask.

SmartTrac™ guide helps to weigh the correct amount.

Result Calculation Concentration calcu-lated automatically.

Green screen indicates result is within specified tolerances.

LabelA flask label is printed automatically.

All information is included – even the expiry date.

DocumentationEverything is auto-matically recorded.

Customized reports can be printed auto-matically.

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New Way

1:10 min.

Info Spot

Mettler-Toledo AGLaboratory DivisionIm LangacherCH-8606 Greifensee, Switzerland

www.mt.comFor more information

Which environmental conditions influence a balance? How often should a balance be tested? Knowing the cor-rect answers to these questions saves time and money.

The Risk Check is an online tool designed to analyze the weighing risks of a balance independent of model, type or manufacturer. It offers a point of reference in the jungle of regulation guidelines and supports quality and laboratory managers along with anyone else in charge of balances.

The Risk Check can:• Provide instant expert advice according to individual weighing risk. • Demonstrate how to optimize the quality and performance of the tested balance.

Balance Risk CheckHow good is your quality system?

www.mt.com/GWP-riskcheckSpend 5 minutes with the Risk Check to test the fitness of your weighing processes: