Cleanroom monitoring as a new element of student internships

The "Cleanroom Technology" internship in the 4th semester of the degree programs in Pharmaceutical Technology and Food, Nutrition, Hygiene (Elective Focus: Hygiene) currently includes experiments on topics such as cleanroom hygiene and clothing, as well as measurements related to cleanroom technology. In the future, the internship will also be supplemented with practical insights from the field of cleanroom monitoring. This will be made possible by a mobile cleanroom monitoring system (RMS) for monitoring particle concentration and airflow velocity, which has been donated to Albstadt-Sigmaringen University by the companies Briem Steuerungstechnik GmbH (complete system including control cabinet & software, commissioning, and qualification), KM OptoElektronik GmbH (particle counter), and Schmidt Technology GmbH (airflow sensor).

"The cleanroom monitoring system perfectly complements the portfolio in the cleanroom technology internship," says Prof. Dr. Andreas Schmid, who is responsible for the cleanroom technology area at the Faculty of Life Sciences. In the 4th semester, students will learn the general practical handling of the RMS and its associated control system. Furthermore, the RMS will be used in the "Sterile Technology" module internship, also supervised by Schmid, in the 6th semester of Pharmaceutical Technology. During this, students will validate an aseptic filling process, i.e., a process simulation using a nutrient medium (Media Fill). The RMS will be used to monitor compliance with environmental conditions within a barrier system. This will be complemented by parallel microbiological monitoring.

"With this, we are now able to cover all aspects of environmental monitoring required by EU-GMP guideline Annex 1 in the internship," Schmid notes. The RMS also offers new, interesting opportunities for student project work. Finally, the university extends its thanks to the participating companies. "We are very excited about the tremendous support from the three companies," Schmid also thanks on behalf of the students.