PRL recognizes the potential advantages of using aquatic models in research and has set forth a plan to become an integral part of this growing movement.
The PRL Aquatic Systems Division will provide the most uptodate and technically advanced systems for housing aquatics. These systems will be specifically designed to meet the biological and technical needs of the researcher, while working within their operational parameters.
PRL is pleased to announce the appointment of Alyssa Gundersen to this new division. Alyssa holds a BS in Marine Biology from the University of Maryland and comes to Pharmacal with years of experience in aquatic facility design and operation.
If you are considering the installation of a new aquatic environmental system, expanding an existing system, or just need additional information, please call Alyssa at 18002435350.
PRL Partnership with ElectroSteam®
Clean Steam! We at Pharmacal Research Laboratories feel that clean steam is a necessity in autoclaves. Why? Amines!! Amines are found in dirty steam. Amines are known to rapidly degrade polycarbonates. Clean steam is also needed to safely boost the temperature of the sump water in cage washers.
To achieve this, Pharmacal Research Laboratories and ElectroSteam® have become partners in the fight against dirty steam. If you would like more information about the ElectroSteam® product line, contact your Pharmacal representative at 18002435350.
The article is reprinted from the Fall 1995 issue.
Many of us don't want to remember how miserable winter can be, but once again it has returned! Pharmacal Research Laboratories, Inc., instituted severe weather plans several years ago to deal with cold, snow, and ice.These plans are necessary when shipping product that is susceptible to freezing and thawing from external temperature variations.
While necessary, these contingency plans may result in your chemical deliveries being a little later than in other times of the year. During the cold weather months, we will not ship chemicals on Fridays. Leaving your order in an unheated truck for the weekend will not improve your liquid chemicals and may cause them to freeze! If your order has to be in transit for more than two nights, PRL will ship early the next week.
We urge our customers to contact our office staff immediately when requesting special shipping and handlingof your orders. If you absolutely, positively need your order filled yesterday, let us know this. Paula, Debbie,Cece, and Diane will handle your requirements and can expedite your order. For assistance, call us at 1-800-243-5350.
Liquid Crystals, Stable Colors and TempTapes®
Pharmacal Research Laboratories has been working to solve the mystery of why some customers' TempTapes® and TritempTapes® have discolored after exposure to 180°F, and others have retained the same dark colors through years of record storage. Theories have abounded, and most have not panned out in our Q+A laboratory.
Tammy Marotta, Quality Assurance Manager, zeroed in on the liquid crystals which make up the colored section of the TempTapes®. She has discovered that if the tapes become scratched, they will lighten over time. For instance, using fingernails or any object such as a coin, or adhering the tapes to scratch surfaces, will result in an alteration in the liquid crystals and may affect the integrity of the TempTapes®. We have tapes that have remained stable for at least one year after exposure to high temperatures if the tapes are not scratched.
If you have questions about the temperature tapes and the color stabilization, please contact your Pharmacal representative or call Tammy at 18002435350.
Disposal systems (such as the Somat® and Garb-el® systems) are popping up in more laboratory animal facilities these days. The concept behind these machines is simple. Organic waste is placed in the hopper which then grinds and slurries the waste with water. The concept is similar to a household garbage disposal. The customer may then put the slurry to drain or containerize it for later waste disposal.
Trail®, an odor control product manufactured by Pharmacal Research Laboratories, has been incorporated into this disposal process by many lab animal managers. Trails will chemically destroy the odors associated with organic waste, especially waste that is being stored prior to disposal. For the waste going directly to the drain, Trail® eliminates odors which may be a concern when dumping to a municipal waste system. And, if used consistently, Trails will keep the Somat® or Garbel® systems clean and fresh, so Monday morning your work crew won't need gas masks when they start their work week.
Trail® is very inexpensive to use. Automatic dispensing systems can be installed in Garbel® and Somat® systems. If you would like more information about the use of Trail® for any odor counteracting situations, contact your Pharmacal representative or call us at 18002435350.
New Look GLP Service Reports from PRL
The Pharmacal Research Laboratories' service reports have a new look that is easier to read. When your PRL dispensing equipment is calibrated, you will be given a copy of the new report. This contains the same pertinent information as our previous reports, such as conductivity and volume readings. There is space for up to four individual reports per page and a comments section.
A copy of your calibration report is filed at the PRL office and retained for at least one year. Should you need back copies, contact our office to request a photocopy of your service records.
Our calibration services are provided at no charge to our customers.
If you have additional questions about our service reports, please contact your Pharmacal representative or our office at 18002435350.
"Kennel cough" (infectious tracheobronchitis) describes the symptoms associated with an upper respiratory infection in dogs. The causative agent of kennel cough may be bacterial or viral. The most common bacterial agent is Bordetella bronchiseptica, although other agents such as Pseudomonas, Escherichia colia, and Klebsiella pneumonia have been implicated, usually as secondary infections. Viral agents which have been associated with the illness include canine parainfluenza, canine distemper, adenoviruses, herpes virus, etc.
Kennel cough is highly contagious. Usually the disease is considered to be selflimiting, in that once symptoms break and appropriate nursing care is begun, a complete recovery is predicted for adult animals. Stressing the animal during the recovery phase, or providing inadequate environmental conditions can bring about a relapse.
If Bordetella or one of the viral microorganisms listed above is responsible for the outbreak of "Kennel Cough," Quatricide PV® or Quatricide PV15® would be the disinfectant of choice.
Remember that kennel cough is spread through the environment. so it is imperative that good hygiene and very high levels of sanitation be implemented immediately after an outbreak has been confirmed.
If you have additional questions about the use of QuatricidePV® or Quatricide PV 15®, please contact your Pharmacal representative or call Tammy at 18002435350.
PRL GreaseFree® Is Phosphate Free!!
Animal care facilities that house pigs, dogs, and other large animals also have grease buildup problems. These critters rub and mark their housing units, leaving body oils that can be difficult to remove. Hot water and a good alkaline detergent can remove much of the grease, but in stationary runs and pens, the grease can remain. Under the layer of grease can exist colonies of microbes that can escape the chemical disinfectants used in the facility.
PRL Grease Free® can help remove the buildup of body oils and the residual fats and proteins from feed. And when used in conjunction with a foamer, PRL GreaseFree® can stick to the vertical surface of the pen. The heavy alkaline chemical structure of PRL GreaseFree® works quickly loosen oils from the surface of the cage. A little scrubbing might be needed but in most cases the surface rinses freely with water and no extra work. This is definitely a labor saving product that is also inexpensive to use. Best of all, this product contains NO phosphates!
Ask your Pharmacal representative for a demonstration of PRL Grease Free® and our handy foamer. Give us a call at: 1-800-243-5350.
We hope that you have found this newsletter informative. Do you have questions about sanitation that we can answer? Call us at the Pharmacal Research Laboratories office (18002435350) with your quest:ions, comments, and suggestions, or access us at our internet Web site at www.pharmacal.com
Pharmacal FactSheet is written and copyrighted by Pharmacal Research Laboratories, Naugatuck, Ct 19971999
