Through the Internet of things, research efforts and pilot plant operations run more efficiently, helping speed new product launches.

Today’s research and development is becoming more demanding. Companies need to find ways to increase their throughput without corresponding budget increases. At the same time, samples are more valuable than ever, so loss of a single batch can cost tens of thousands of dollars. R&D managers have been traditionally faced with two choices: leave their experiments running overnight unattended and risk loss of a valuable sample, or stop their work at the end of the day losing valuable productivity.

Advances in remote monitoring through the Internet of things (IoT) have eliminated the need for a physical presence in fluid handling research and development, giving researchers the ability to remotely achieve much of the same control and monitoring they need in their workflow—whether that is for preparation, fermentation, harvesting, or purification.

Remote monitoring, increasingly seen in pharmaceutical processing operations, can be beneficial for R&D departments tasked with fluid handling experiments or pilot testing. Applying remote monitoring to peristaltic pumps can positively impact departments that are tasked with fluid handling 24/7 but don’t have the staff to monitor the pumps.

The ability to have local Bluetooth wireless control along with cloud-based remote monitoring allows R&D departments to develop products and processes more quickly. This opportunity to complete the R&D phase and move quickly through the pilot process can reduce the time and cost of bringing a new product to market.

Bluetooth Control

The ability to control a peristaltic pump via Bluetooth connectivity allows researchers more flexibility when placing pumps in the process flow. No longer do they need to have hands-on access to the pump to control or set up a fluid handling process. By utilizing the capabilities of today’s smartphones and tablets, researchers can program all the pump capabilities from up to 70 feet away.

The pump can be placed within a cleanroom, fume hood, glove box, or other restricted area of the laboratory allowing the researcher to remain outside of those areas. This ability for remote control can amount to significant time and cost savings by eliminating the need for gowning, disinfecting, washing, and decontamination steps associated with entering many restricted areas. It can also provide additional employee health and safety assurances by distancing employees from dangerous chemicals or biologics.

Pump operators using this technology can control and program all of the pump parameters: speed, flow, start, stop, and direction. In addition, the operators can set up the pump as a metering pump for nutrient feed, pH control, transfer, and filtration, or as a dispensing device used for filling and aliquot dosing.

Cloud-Based Remote Monitoring

With the growth in Internet connectivity, peristaltic pumps and other fluid handling instruments can now be monitored by way of cloud services from anywhere in the world. Fluid handling equipment is now able to send read-only indication of operational parameters and status conditions viewable through an applet on any Internet-connected device.

Monitoring of these parameters and conditions can give researchers peace of mind that their experiment is running exactly how they left it upon exiting the lab or pilot plant. It also allows multitasking during longer dispensing runs as researchers can perform additional critical tasks in their workflow in other locations while being able to confirm exactly how much time is left in their dispensing run.

Operating parameters that can be transmitted include:

• Flow characteristics: Monitor whether the pump is operating in continuous or dispense mode, what flow rate or rpm the pump is running, and the cumulative flow rate pumped
• Dispense status: View the current aliquot volume setting and dispense cycles completed

Status conditions that can be transmitted include:

• Pump motor status: Confirm whether the pump motor is running or stopped and the direction of current operation (clockwise or counterclockwise)
• Process status: Confirm that the pump head has not been accidentally opened or a leak has not occurred within the process
• Pump system status: Confirm that no error has occurred and that the pump is online and operational

For researchers looking for a more hands-off approach to monitoring, the monitoring interfaces can also be set up with notification rules that send alerts by email or text about certain conditions, such as dispense cycle completion, leakages, and equipment errors. Every second is critical with sensitive and expensive samples; immediate notification allows quick reaction that can salvage cells, media, or other important products. 

In a perfect example of “simpler is better,” the read-only transmission of operational parameters and status conditions maintains security and confidentiality. The pump process cannot be interrupted nor can critical information about the underlying R&D be viewed by unauthorized parties. The monitoring applet is also controlled by log-in and strong passwords, and then paired only with a unique serial number for the equipment, adding another layer of security against unintended viewing.

Conclusion

When operating with tight budgets or constrained resources, researchers can take advantage of new connectivity capabilities. Immediate benefits include an increase in productivity along with a reduction in costs within the laboratory and pilot plant fluid handling operations. This connectivity can help improve time to market, allowing for unattended and overnight operation while maintaining confidence that the process is being monitored.

Bluetooth connectivity offers a hands-off control approach providing flexibility of pump placement within the research process and can emulate the plant process, thereby allowing a quicker time between the R&D lab to the process floor. This technology can also add a level of safety for employees by distancing then from harmful chemicals and biologics.

Cloud-based remote monitoring allows the researcher to track extended runs for a more seamless extension through pilot-scale and into full process. Read-only data transmission ensures data security—which is and should be a concern shared by researchers and product developers.

About the Author

Gregg E. Johnson is the global senior product manager for the Cole-Parmer Masterflex and Ismatec product lines. He has worked in the pump industry for more than 30 years, specifically with peristaltic pumps for more than 19 years.

This feature story can also be found in the July/August 2017 issue of  Pharmaceutical Processing.

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