The instrument can test a range of packaging including bottles, tubs, sachets, and inhalers. Applications include any form of packaging, from unitary-dose blister packs through to cosmetic containers and everything inbetween. It can measure the vapour permeability of almost any material against any gas or vapour. Results can be produced in as little as 30 minutes for some materials, unlike conventional gravimetric measurements which can take days or even weeks.

Aimed at speeding up the search for effective packaging with new marketing and technical features, the new instrument will be particularly helpful to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Packaging plays a critical role in these sectors as it needs to maintain product sterility and also needs to be able to accommodate increasingly elaborate marketing requirements. The potency of drugs and healthcare products decays over time, due simply to the permeability of the packaging. As moisture permeates through a pack, the efficacy of the drugs inside decreases and the contamination increases of any sterile-wrapped products, from syringes to dressings. Cosmetics can be especially prone to this with the top-notes of fragrances decaying particularly rapidly as volatile compounds permeate away.

The new instrument can cope with several samples at a time. However, for companies who test too few samples to make the purchase of equipment viable, Versaperm also offers a fast turn around laboratory testing service.

About Versaperm

Versaperm Limited was formed by the acquisition of GW Cheel Scientific Instruments in July 2002. It is managed by Christopher Roberts, a scientist businessman, who has nearly 20 years in the coatings and packaging industry. Its relatively small size ensures personalised service and rapid response times.

Today, Versaperm is a world authority on the measurement of gas permeability. Its instruments, testing service and consultancy are interlinked. The company designs and manufactures permeability instrumentation based on both its technological expertise and its experience testing an exceptionally wide range of materials and gases. The company’s laboratory testing service is facilitated by its understanding of the performance capabilities of its instruments, and access to cutting edge developmental instruments before they are launched on the market. Finally, the two aspects are combined in a consultancy section, where decades of technical skill and experience are made available to Versaperm customers.