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Reel-To-Reel
Systems:
The Reel-To-Reel system has been designed to accommodate a wide range
of reagent application and drying processes for web materials used in
test strip product. The Reel-To-Reel is a module system and is used to
prepare these different materials in a web format that if necessary,
can be slit to appropriate widths that are then used for automatic
lamination to assemble the test configuration.
The types of
operations that can be included within the Reel-To-Reel are:
- Reel feed with tension control of
membrane or other web material for coating.
- Reagent dispensing is based on positive
displacement systems and can include BioJet, AirJet or Syringe
dispensing.
- Inspection and marking of dispensed
operations
- Automatic tracking of dispense positions
on the web
- Dispensing motion axis transverse to web
path
- Impregnation using immersion methods
- Tunnel drying using convection heating
- Lamination of secondary web materials to
the main web
- Reel take-up of web with automatic web
tracking
- Cutting of web into strips
Diagnostic
application such as immunological test formats are evolving from only
binary "positive-negative" responses to quanitation. This is requiring
the application of reagents with a higher degree of accuracy in terms
of both reagent volume and position on the web. Since the immunological
test format is based on sample flow across the material webs the
positions of the test and control lines need to be held to very
accurate tolerances relative to a reference such as the membrane edge
or conjugate position overlap on the membrane.
Additionally, most
web materials show large variations in fluid impregnation capacities
which result in significant variations in reagents used for conjugates,
sample pad and blood separation pads. Thus, replacing impregnation
processes with quantitative dispensing would result in very accurate
linear volume concentrations.
The Reel-To-Reel is a
modular system that is based on the use of 9 process modules arranged
on a chassis that can accommodate a wide range of test product
configurations. The module nature allows for the system to be easily
reconfigured for different product requirements. This product line can
also include a web slitter used to convert wider web formats to smaller
web formats for lamination.
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