Making the pen mightier than the microbe

In the pharmaceutical and hygienic manufacturing sectors, foreign bodies are one of any professional’s worst nightmares when it comes to maintaining a hygienic and risk-management production area.  And with manufacturing standards placing ever-more emphasis on minimising all types of foreign-body contamination, hygiene managers need to look at every way possible to reduce non-conformances.

Whilst frequently overlooked, the humble pen can be a significant cause of contamination in any hygienic environment. How many times do you see a colleague chewing the end of a biro, sticking it behind their ear, dropping it on the floor and leaving it on their workstation to be used by others? Imagine the bacteria that is being picked up and shared around the work environment by that one pen.

And then consider the parts of a traditional ballpoint: the internal spring, the plastic cap, even the ink cartridge. All of these small elements can easily come apart and get lost in a production or lab environment, creating a serious contamination risk.  And when foreign bodies impact on hygiene, production and profitability, we have a real issue.

Teknomek’s solution to the pen-problem is the BST J800 DetectaPen®. With a high quality, unpressurised, stainless steel bodied ink cartridge and a spring free mechanism with no detachable parts, every feature of the pen is designed with hygienic sectors in mind.

Key benefits of the BST J800 DetectaPen® for laboratories are:

• X-ray visible and metal detectable: Manufactured using BST's flagship xdetect® plastic compound, the DetectaPen® is optimised for metal and x-ray detection in the pharmaceutical and engineering industries, so that any rogue parts can be identified.
• Anti-bacterial: The DetectaPen® helps mitigate the risk of bacterial transmission because it is made from plastic incorporating silver ion anti-bacterial additives. This technology remains active for the entire lifespan of the product and protects against pathogenic germs and moulds.
• Impact resistant: Many pens shatter easily, with plastic shards quickly disappearing into the workspace. The DetectaPen® is designed not to shatter or snap, reducing the risk of foreign body contamination. All materials used in the construction of DetectaPens® boast extensive approvals, adhering to the strict standards set a variety of regulatory bodies.

Made in the UK, the BST J800 DetectaPen® is a simple and cost effective way to further enhance the hygienic processes in any manufacturing or laboratory environment. Whilst easily overlooked, Teknomek believes that a DetectaPen® really can be mightier than a microbe.

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