Millipore embeds RFID technology in filtration products

In what it believes to be a world first, Millipore Corporation is successfully integrating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology with filtration products used to manufacture biopharmaceutical drugs.

The new RFID capability will be branded as SMART Technology and enables customers to automatically document product and process information, eliminates the risk of losing critical information, and provides the ability to rewrite their own information into embedded RFID tags.

Using RFID technology in filtration products enables the rapid and reliable retrieval of critical information, such as when and how the product was manufactured. Additionally, when the filters are coupled with sensors, RFID can deliver real-time information about product performance and identify which fluids are present during the manufacturing process. This information will help to ensure regulatory compliance and make recording and conveying manufacturing data faster and more reliable.

Other key benefits of the RFID technology include:

• non-line-of-site, enabling improved readability and non-linear access to information
• rewritable and encryptable
• difficult to remove and thus provide greater security
• mechanically and thermally stable
• gamma irradiatable

'Using RFID technology to record and convey valuable product and process information allows our customers to more efficiently develop and validate key process steps,' said Dr Roland Heinrich, vice president, r&d of Millipore's Bioprocess Division. 'In an industry where time-to-market and compliance are crucial, RFID improves the speed and confidence with which critical data is exchanged for these steps.'