Inhalation Exposure tests have widely been used for risk assessment and hazard identifications of a variety of industrial chemicals, agrochemicals and pharma compounds. As a quality equipment supplier, we have been associated with toxicology labs and regulatory bodies and assisted them with equipment and inputs in drafting the framework for testing.
We have noticed a rising trend over past couple of years where some toxicology testing labs across India are using COPY CAT Inhalation Systems that are locally fabricated and failing to deliver most requirements of a quality inhalation exposure. We have briefly put together what is wrong with these fabricated systems and why use of such systems should be banned with immediate effect.
Inhalation Exposure:
The original Inhalation Systems are designed by highly experienced Toxicologist and Aerosol Scientist to ensure optimum aerosol delivery. This depends on lot of factors including the chamber volumes, size and shape of delivery nozzles, size and shape of the animal cones and animal restrainers. These factors are not considered in the design of COPY CAT systems which results in a system with inconsistent flow of the aerosol and thus inaccurate exposure.
Inconsistent aerosol delivery essentially results in exposure disparity amongst the animals of one test group which results in non-confirmatory results and many times the users of COPY CAT systems need to run the entire study again.
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Original Inhalation Tower | Fake Copied Inhalation Tower - Internet Image |
Aerosol Generators:
There are two kinds of aerosol generators used in the COPY CAT systems i.e. Liquid Nebulizers and Dust Generator both with highly inaccurate aerosol output. These generators are designed with No/Very limited understanding of Aerosol Science and fail to generate the desired concentration as per standards requirement for majority of test articles. Moreover, aerosol generated by these devices is not within the respirable range, resulting in non-absorption in the animal lungs and ultimately grossly wrong results.
Due to non-absorption the toxicity can not be evaluated and many highly toxic test articles go undetected. This poses a huge threat when such chemicals pass the tests and allowed to be used.
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Original Solid Particle Generator | Fake Copied Product - Image from Internet |
Aerosol Measurement:
The measurement of aerosol required utmost accuracy and calibrated devices for sampling to avoid the fluctuations from sampling pumps. The COPY CAT system are not using any calibrated devices thus doing sampling at highly fluctuating flow rates.
Wrongly done sampling results in reporting wrong concentrations and ultimately wrong toxicity values.
Health Hazard for System Users:
The COPY CAT systems are not fabricated using good technology resulting in a leakage from the Inhalation Towers, aerosol generators and other parts of the system which directly exposes the system users. Also, they have totally ignored the flow requirements and need to keep the dead volumes in check for optimal exhaust which results in a significant amount of aerosol exposure to the operator of such systems.
The users of such systems have constant complains about unwanted exposure and health issues.
