The AST Peristaltic Pump: Shear Ingenuity

Posted on October 31, 2024

Many of the latest innovative, highly targeted drug products have inherent environmental sensitivities, including motion and agitation. If not taken into account, conventional processing methods can destroy or degrade a liquid pharmaceutical product. In these cases, precise peristaltic pump technology should be utilized. Additional ways to protect shear-sensitive products include formulation-based considerations and process optimization using engineering runs (a feature that is programmable and simplified within AST’s HMI, ASTView).

Our solution, the AST pump, is a gentle peristaltic pump designed for dispensing shear-sensitive products. AST’s approach uses pre-sterilized single-use fluid paths that can easily be installed in the pump in an isolated setting through the glove port, ensuring sterility and that the pump remains non-product contacting. Each pump comes installed on the FCM and can be configured to multiple fill lines or installed along a rotary piston pump assembly for a combination pump approach. The pump technology is servo-driven for precision and completely integrated into the system HMI for ease of operation, process traceability, and batch recording. Outfitted with a safety sensor, the pump lets the user know if the door is ajar and the fluid path is not secure. The pump is stationarily built into the fill area to allow easy cleaning, eliminating hard-to-reach spaces and the need for pump removal.  

Additionally, for patient-centered applications that require a no-waste approach, the AST pump can be combined with AST’s IPC technology for zero-waste priming and calibration to ensure that every available drop of product can be utilized.

This pump reflects the drive behind our design methodology: a precise balance between simplicity and effectiveness. User-friendliness and innovation shouldn’t be mutually exclusive. AST’s engineering approach considers product integrity, process efficacy, and the realities of batch-to-batch operations, resulting in highly repeatable, intuitive technology. Like-technology—solutions that have consistent principles and design logic, the same level of quality, the same materials, and a coherent engineering strategy—have clear benefits both functionally and in the context of wider operations. As a result, end-to-end integration improves crucial processes as the entire fill-finish system can operate from a single HMI platform with full data recording and process traceability. This approach is optimized for the regulatory requirements of sterile parenteral products and provides streamlined scalability throughout the operation, as the same technology can be used at every stage of drug development. This means less validation time, less time retraining, and more machine uptime.

The AST pump is one of the latest examples of our commitment to quality turnkey technology. Reach out to one of our team members today for an in-depth walk-through of AST’s peristaltic pump solution.