The security secrets of PTOC in vitro diagnostic test cards

Due to the import of the Indian epidemic, Guangdong has become nervous in epidemic prevention and control. Not only has Guangzhou conducted large-scale accounting testing, but effective and rapid testing is particularly important.

Due to the change in diagnostic standards and the demand of a large number of companies for the IgM/IgG antibody test kit for pneumonia vaccine (2019-ngG), POCT companies have received a blowout in domestic orders and can produce the IgM/IgG antibody test kit for the new crown pneumonia vaccine (2019-ngG). How to quickly and safely produce products and deliver them to the market in time for use is an urgent problem that such companies need to solve. In the production process of POCT test reagent cards, the unique UDI identification and customization requirements are an indispensable part of the production process and are also the weak links in the production of some companies. In this regard, the first thing that comes to mind is laser inkless printing. In recent years, the use of laser inkless printing on POCT products has become a consensus. At the forefront of the fight against the epidemic, Laisai Laser insists on the POCT production line to ensure clear, accurate and fast marking on each test card, providing customers with 24-hour uninterrupted service.

The following Laisai Laser will analyze in detail and share with you the safety secrets of POCT laser marking products.

The characteristics of polymer materials are as follows:

(1) Good physical and mechanical properties and chemical stability;

(2) Abundant sources, low price, suitable for the production of disposable medical supplies;

(3) Easy to process, low manufacturing cost, suitable for various molding methods, easy to process into complex shapes, and develop new products.

Polymer laser processing uses the high energy of laser to carbonize the surface of the plastic itself, or decompose certain components on the surface to produce a blank, foam the plastic, and make the color of the plastic in the laser-acted part different from that in the non-acted area, thereby forming a mark. The marking effect is good and can greatly improve production efficiency.

Laser MarkingPrinciple:

According to the characteristics of polymer materials such as polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, ABS, HIPS, etc., through experiments, four commonly used wavelength lasers of 355nm, 532nm, 1064nm and 10.64um were used for testing. Combined with different processes, better marking effects can be achieved, but the differences between different materials are different. Finally, combined with the four wavelength lasers of 355nm, 532nm, 1064nm and 10.64um, we focused on selecting three lasers with wavelengths of 355nm, 1064nm and 10.64um, that is, the UV lasers, fiber lasers and CO2 lasers that we use most in industry for different process development.

Laser marking uses polymer materials. As the change in polymer color difference is the most important, we use different laser process adjustments to produce different physical and chemical changes in polymer materials such as PVC, polypropylene, ABS, HIPS, etc., thereby producing color difference and improving the contrast of polymer color difference. For this purpose, we have developed four polymer color difference processes, namely: foaming, etching, variable etching and only color change.

Specifics are as follows:

(1) For some plastics, when the laser energy is low, it is not enough to carbonize the material, and it can only decompose certain components on the surface of the material, produce gas, and cause it to bubble. This bubble has a slight color difference from the basic color of the material, so a light-colored mark can be obtained. This process is suitable for the application of indicator marks.

(2) Etching: When the laser peak is high or the material melting point is low, the local temperature of the material surface is much higher than the material melting point, and the material surface will undergo structural reorganization corrosion or gasification. Generally, when CO2 lasers are used to mark materials such as ABS and HIPS, the marking effect can only obtain deep groove contour lines, and cannot obtain better recognition.

(3) Etching with color change (engraving depression, color change): When the laser energy is high, the laser irradiates the plastic excessively and carbonizes it, and spots of different sizes and different black depths appear on the material. When laser marking materials such as ABS and PVC, the surface material is carbonized under laser irradiation, the light beam has high heat, and the surface of the material mark is etched at the same time. This technology is suitable for indicating marks and QR code marks of ABSPVC materials.

(4) Only color change: Laser wavelength radiation that is short enough can separate plastic molecules and cause color changes. UV laser has photons with high load energy, which can interrupt the chemical bonds in the material or surrounding medium, destroy the non-thermal process of the material, and the marking effect is high in blackness and has no feel. This technology is suitable for indicator marks and QR code marks of polymer materials such as PVC, PP, ABS, HIPS, etc.

Laser marking+Data management:

Uniform identification of medical devices: UDI: The only ID card in the product supply chain is an important identification content in the POCT test reagent card. Variable codes or customized codes such as QR, DM, CODE46, CODE16K are usually used as unique identification. This kind of logo has high requirements for the clarity and accuracy of printing. It is one code for one object, which plays an important role in data management. Laser can print high-precision and high-definition variable codes conveniently and quickly. Through in-depth industry research and extensive application accumulation, in order to achieve clear allocation while ensuring the uniqueness of allocation, it is also necessary to develop professional software to connect the production of POCT companies.