RedEye Patch keeps oxygen covered
packaging and other enclosed containers has been launched by US
optical sensing specialist Ocean Optics.
The RedEye Oxygen Patch uses proprietary coatings that can detect low levels of oxygen in gas (down to 0.0005 per cent) and dissolved oxygen in liquids (to 20 ppb) as well as the higher levels found in cell culture and respiratory monitoring, Ocean Optics says. It is positioning the product mainly for pharmaceutical and medical applications, such as blood bag analysis, bioprocess control, checking sterile seals on surgical instruments or drug packaging, and point-of-care analysis (e.g., disposable ventilator oxygen attachments during anaesthesia). The Red Eye coatings can also be used in food, beverage, fuel and other hydrocarbon-based product applications. The patches are manufactured to customer specification with a choice of sizes (typically these will vary from a few millimetres to several centimetres) and coating formulations, depending on the measurement need and setting. They can be integrated into packaging for continuous monitoring or used externally for post-production and R&D monitoring. By employing high-performance sol-gel coatings for the Red Eye patches, Ocean Optics claims advantages over manufacturers of similar products that use polymer membranes, such as better thermal and mechanical stability, superior chemical compatibility, ease of production and a faster response. Red Eye patches with a HIOXY coating formulation are designed to monitor oxygen in non-aqueous vapours and solutions, and are ideal for use with oils and alcohols, the company explains. "There is no other oxygen sensor available for packaging that can be used in alcohols,"" it comments. The RedEye with a FOXY coating is marketed as an all-purpose solution for benign gases, liquids and gels. Depending on the application, the Red Eye patches can be used for rapid detection of the presence or absence of oxygen, using an optical probe connected to a hand-held light-emitting diode (LED), or to measure the exact oxygen level with a fluorometer. The Red Eye itself consists of a sensor coating formulation trapped in a sol-gel matrix. The gel coating is non-reactive and immobilises the sensor, keeping it protected from the package contents. Ocean Optics is offering an evaluation kit with five 8mm patches in each of the coating options, priced at $53 (€35.92) for quantities of one to 10. A five-pack evaluation kit containing 8mm RedEye patches and the HIOXY sensor coating is available on the same basis at a price of $263.
