Critical life science applications like growing cells in incubators, sterilizing process equipment, and storing life-saving medicines in temperature-controlled warehouses rely on accurate, stable measurements. Handheld instruments provide technicians with a quick and convenient way to spot check, calibrate, and adjust vital measurement equipment.
Handheld instruments offer a wide range of benefits in critical life science applications. They offer a quick and convenient way to spot check environmental or process conditions directly and calibrate sensors measuring a wide variety of parameters. These include temperature, relative humidity, dew point, CO2, and vaporized hydrogen peroxide. Handheld instruments can also be used as reference instruments for spot-checking or as portable transfer standards for calibrating fixed instruments in the field.
Life science companies can take advantage of handheld instruments to improve the efficiency of processes, use valuable resources more sustainably, and maximize end-product yield. And they can do all this while maintaining quality and reducing the risk of costly unplanned shutdowns or product recalls.
Make better decisions with convenient spot checking and calibration
In life science applications, accurate measurement data is the cornerstone of proper process and quality control. Handheld instruments can be used at different points in the process or environment to verify process conditions or the check status of a fixed measurement instrument.
Some handheld instruments can even be used as standalone reference standards for easier field calibration, ensuring your critical measurement instruments continue to provide trustworthy data. A handheld instrument with data-logging capability allows you to gather and analyze data from individual probes to help speed up diagnosis and quickly identify maintenance needs without downtime.
All-round flexibility and usability
As well as being easy to carry, handheld instruments for life science applications should provide the flexibility you need to measure a variety of different parameters.
Usability and user guidance are also important factors. Clear displays with intuitive menus that guide the user will save time and ensure that spot checking and calibrations can be properly performed every time. Battery life is another key factor. A handheld instrument with a long battery life avoids the inconvenience of frequent downtime for charging, helping you to do more with the time you have.
For life science companies who use Vaisala Indigo-compatible probes and transmitters, the Vaisala Indigo80 Handheld Indicator offers the ideal platform for fast, accurate spot-checking, process monitoring, configuring, troubleshooting, calibration, and adjustment.
Smart, non-intrusive CO2 measurement for incubators
CO2 plays an essential role in regulating the pH of the cell culture medium, acting as a buffer to maintain the pH in the correct range. Proper control of the CO2 concentration in an incubator helps to maintain the optimal conditions for cell growth and function, and highly accurate percentage-level CO2 measurements are key to stable, reliable performance.
Maintaining a stable, sterile environment inside an incubator is far easier if you can measure the conditions without opening the door. Condensation during sampling is another challenge to overcome when extracting samples, as buildup can affect measurement accuracy.
The Vaisala GMP80P has been designed for use in exactly this kind of demanding application. It combines rapid, intelligent CO2 measurement with pump-aspirated sampling functionality. The stable, accurate heart of the GMP80P is the Vaisala CO2 probe GMP251.
Connect the GMP80P to a Vaisala Indigo80 handheld instrument and you have an easy, portable way to spot check incubator conditions and perform field calibrations and adjustments. Learn more about how to perform on-site CO2 calibration in an incubator in this video.
For longer-term measurements and data logging purposes, probes can be installed directly inside an incubator. For example, the GMP251 and Humidity and Temperature Probe HMP110 can be installed inside an incubator and connected to a Vaisala Indigo80 with a flat cable. The Indigo80 can then be used as a display for viewing data from the two measurement probes simultaneously. The flat cable means that the incubator door can be closed, minimizing air leakage through the door seal. A specially designed probe holder can be used to ensure that the recommended separation distance between the probes is maintained. The probe holder also provides several options for mounting the probes inside the incubator.
Learn more in our Technical Note: Incubator Setup of Indigo80 Indicator with GMP251 and HMP110 Probes.
Accurate hydrogen peroxide measurement for biodecontamination
Life science companies are increasingly moving away from decontamination processes that use harsh and often carcinogenic chemicals and towards gaseous biodecontamination using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Low-temperature vaporized H2O2 is effective against a wide range of biological organisms, and the vaporized H2O2 breaks down into harmless oxygen and water.
Accurate H2O2 measurement reduces the need for biological, enzyme, or chemical indicators in biodecontamination processes. Real-time monitoring ensures that the required level of H2O2 is achieved and maintained, ensuring effective decontamination. To achieve the desired humidity level, the relative saturation of the gas mixture also needs to be measured to avoid the gaseous H2O2 condensing. With an easy way to collect data from the decontamination process, you can gather the information you need to prove that the “kill” process was effective.
The Vaisala PEROXCAP® Hydrogen Peroxide, Humidity, and Temperature Probe HPP270 series probes are ideal for demanding H2O2 biodecontamination applications including isolators, material transfer hatches, and room biodecontamination. The series includes the HPP271 for measuring vaporized H2O2 concentration only and the HPP272 probe for measuring vaporized H2O2 concentration, relative saturation, relative humidity, temperature, and dew point. All measured values can be displayed on a connected Vaisala Indigo80.
HPP270 series probes can be used as standalone instruments or connected to a Vaisala Indigo200, Indigo300, or Indigo500 Series transmitter.
Easy spot-checking and calibration for humidity, dew point, and temperature
Humidity, dew point, and temperature measurements are critical across a wide variety of applications in the life science industry. These include building automation systems, compressed air supply systems, and incubators as well as temperature-controlled environments like freezers, fridges, cryogenic storage facilities, and clean rooms.
Handheld instruments for these applications need to be highly accurate, stable, and able to withstand harsh chemicals, dust contamination, and condensation. The response time of the sensor technology is another important factor to consider, particularly if you use measurement data as an input for control loops: the quicker you can get accurate data, the faster your systems can respond when conditions change.
The Vaisala HMP80 handheld probe is ideal for quick and easy spot checking and calibration of humidity and temperature measurements. It is optimized for portable measurements using the Indigo80 Handheld Indicator and includes a sensor warming function to prevent condensation and a sensor purge function to improve long-term chemical resistance.
Vaisala DMP80 probes are robust instruments that are optimized for portable data logging and spot-checking of dew point measurements across a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Like the HMP80, the DMP80 is fully compatible with the Indigo80 Handheld Indicator. The handheld probe requires no preconditioning before use and can be easily connected directly to a dry compressed air line to measure the dew point, or used to ensure air dryer performance.
Accurate temperature measurements reduce the risk of lost product and non-compliance in life science cold storage applications such as walk-in freezers and fridges as well as cryogenic storage facilities. Having a single technology to cover all these applications reduces maintenance effort and cost and makes the work of technicians easier.
The Vaisala Wide-Range Temperature Probe TMP115 is suitable for any application where precise temperature control is essential. The TMP115 uses a platinum RTD temperature sensor for superior measurement stability and has a functional temperature from -196°C to +90°C. Connected to a Vaisala Indigo80 Handheld Indicator it provides a quick and easy way to verify temperature conditions.
Access and configure your handheld instruments with one user-friendly tool
Vaisala Insight PC Software, available to download for free from the Vaisala website, gives you quick access to the configurations and data of Indigo family measurement probes and other compatible Vaisala instruments. You can connect as many as six probes simultaneously to a PC with a USB cable for configuration and field calibration.
If you’re going to measure it, measure it right
It is critical to remember that wherever you use a handheld instrument, it must always be properly calibrated and adjusted so you can be confident in the results it produces.
Vaisala provides a holistic service that goes beyond simply calibrating your instruments and handing them back to you, so you can rest assured that your instruments are always in the best possible hands.
Through the MyVaisala online portal you can check and download calibration certificates and service records for your instruments serviced by Vaisala. You can also order calibration for your Vaisala instrument through the Vaisala Online shop.
For peace of mind and easier budgeting, you can fix the price of calibrations for up to five years with a Vaisala Calibration Care Agreement, which also gives you priority order handling for the fastest possible turnaround time.
Discover Vaisala’s full range of handheld instruments or contact us to find out how we can help you maintain accuracy and reliability in your life science measurements.
