Bürkle StickProof powder sampler, V4A stainless steel, 35 ml, 5338-0410

When a powder is delivered for pharmaceutical production, the quality assurance department usually needs to take a sample at the goods-in stage without opening or contaminating the rest of the container. Bürkle’s StickProof powder sampler pierces directly into sacks, cartons or smaller containers and collects the material in a single chamber before being withdrawn. The sealed tip and smooth surface minimise contact with layers that have already been pierced.

A 35-millilitre collection chamber

The sampler has a collection chamber with a capacity of 35 millilitres, 120 millimetres long, which begins at a penetration depth of 90 millimetres. The tip remains closed until then and only opens once inside the batch, ensuring that no surface-level debris is drawn into the sample. With a full penetration depth of 310 millimetres and a total length of 410 millimetres, the StickProof reaches through most standard sacks and smaller cartons to the centre of the container.

V4A stainless steel with no edges or gaps

The sampler is manufactured from V4A stainless steel (1.4404, AISI 316L) with an external diameter of 25 millimetres. The edge-free design prevents powder residues from becoming lodged in crevices between two sampling operations and contaminating the next sample. The material can also withstand frequent cleaning with more aggressive agents and is certified for food contact in accordance with EU Regulation 1935/2004; Bürkle provides a collective certificate for several V4A items to this end. This allows the sampler to be thoroughly cleaned between use with different active substances without damaging the polished surface.

Packaged directly rather than decanted

The scope of delivery includes a retaining clip for sample bags with a 25-millimetre diameter, as well as 100 packaging bags with a press-seal closure and a capacity of 400 millilitres. The clip holds the bag directly beneath the chamber opening, so that the powder can be emptied into the bag without any intermediate steps when the sampler is withdrawn. This eliminates the need for a decanting table and reduces the number of contact surfaces through which a sample could become contaminated – a crucial consideration for active ingredients with strict purity requirements.

Representative sampling via multiple punctures

A single collection chamber only ever captures the point at which the sampler is inserted. To obtain a representative result for an entire batch, multiple punctures are therefore required at different positions on the bag or carton, with each sample emptied into its own separate packaging bag. The 100 bags supplied are sufficient for several batches without the need to order more in between.

When the chamber is not sufficient

For quantities significantly less than one millilitre – for example, in the case of highly potent and expensive active ingredient powders – the StickProof, with its 35-millilitre chamber, is oversized and would extract more material than is necessary for analysis. In such cases, the PharmaPicker system, with interchangeable volume tips ranging from 0.1 to 2.5 millilitres, is more suitable. If several layers of a container are to be sampled separately, rather than just a single target point, the folding sampler for all-layer samples is the more suitable choice. As an alternative with a different design for powder samples, LT Laborhandel also stocks the Scratcher powder sampler.

Typical areas of application

• Incoming goods inspection of powders in pharmaceutical production
• Sampling from sacks, cartons and smaller containers
• Retention samples for quality assurance
• Random sampling for batch release
• Sampling carried out by trained quality control staff in the vicinity of cleanrooms

Technical details

Contents

• StickProof powder sampler
• Clamp for sample bags, Ø 25 mm
• 100 x packaging pouches with press-seal, 400 ml

Service and procurement

For businesses that sample liquids or bulk materials as well as powders, LT Laborhandel can put together an order of suitable supplementary equipment from the Bürkle sampling range. Reorders of packaging pouches can also be combined with other accessories in a single order, for example when several batches need to be released in quick succession. If you have any questions regarding the correct sample cutter design, please contact LT Laborhandel directly for assistance.