Advanced Observation and Measurement of Ampoules and Vials

• Ampoules must be carefully cleaned to prevent contamination by foreign particles. Also, the ampoule must be filled with liquid medicine that is clear and bright, and the ampoule must then be melted and sealed.
• Breaking the tip to open the ampoule for use may create microscopic glass fragments that contaminate the injection solution. To ensure ampoules can be opened safely, caution must be exercised regarding the processing quality of their cut-lines.
• Air bubbles, cracks, breakage, etc. in the glass will negatively affect the storage quality of the ampoule and the quality of its contained solution. To prevent defective products from being released, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the causes of defects by inspecting the appearance of products and by performing magnified observation prior to shipping.

• When a hypodermic needle pierces the rubber stopper, pieces of the stopper may be shaved off and enter into the solution as foreign particles, causing coring. This problem normally does not occur so long as the proper method is used to prick the stopper. However, caution is necessary because poor rubber stopper quality or errors during capping may lead to coring regardless of the technique with which the stopper is pricked.
• During the administration of an injection, the doctor visually checks for contamination with foreign particles after the solution is diluted, but the basic assumption is that unopened vials do not contain foreign particles. If a vial is contaminated with foreign particles during manufacturing, the quality and safety of the liquid medicine will be compromised, so caution is necessary regarding foreign particles affixing to the bottle or rubber stopper during filling or capping.
• Glass container defects such as cracks, scratches, air bubbles, and black spots may decrease the container’s preservation and affect the quality of the contained solution. Detailed appearance inspections are required to prevent these defects and to identify their causes and prevent them from reoccurring.

The VHX Series enables quick and clear observation of glass by incorporating the Multi-lighting function. Multi-lighting captures multiple images of the sample under different lighting conditions and displays them all on the screen. The user simply needs to select the best image, and appropriate lighting will be used to observe the sample.
This product is also equipped with a High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging function that combines together multiple images at varying shutter speeds to acquire an image with high color gradation. This function enables glare-free, high-accuracy, and high-contrast observation of the textures of ampoule cut-lines, which were difficult to observe until now due to their low contrast against the background, and is effective in observing microscopic cracks in glass containers.

Furthermore, the VHX Series is capable of stacking multiple images in the Z-direction, allowing it to capture and display 3D images that show texture and roughness. The result is that the 3D image displayed on the screen can be rotated to any angle for observation without having to move the sample on the stage or change the angle of the lens.
Profile measurement can also be performed simply by selecting arbitrary points. Sub-micrometer level measured values can be acquired for cross-section shapes and surface irregularities of cut-lines in a non-destructive, non-contact manner.

Defects and flaws such as cracks, fractures, and air bubbles in glass containers that require high airtightness impair product durability, safety, and reliability. However, these defects are three dimensional due to the thickness of the glass, so it was difficult to observe the entire target clearly with conventional microscopes because only a part of the target could be brought into focus under high-magnification observation.
The VHX Series 4K digital microscope is equipped with an optical system that combines high resolution with a depth of field that is at least 20 times larger than optical microscopes. Hence, it enables observation with high-accuracy images in which the entire target is in focus even if that target is thick. Even microscopic fractures and air bubbles deep within the glass can be clearly observed.