Particle College

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Next Class: February 19th - 20th, 2013

Particle Measuring Systems presents Particle College™, an educational seminar on the fundamentals of particle counting and its applications.

Through presentations and demonstrations, you will learn about particles, what they are, how they are detected, forces on particles, and what type of instruments are used to quantify these contaminants. Professionals with real-world experience will instruct you on the mechanics of detecting particulates, discuss the benefits and considerations of various monitoring techniques, and will offer insight on the future trends associated with contamination.

Tuition
The fee for the two-day seminar in Colorado is $1175.00. Take advantage of our Early Bird discount of 20% by registering on or before December 15th! Fee for early Bird registration is just $940!

Registration includes classroom materials (including a binder with all course presentations/handouts) as well as breakfast and lunch both days. Particle Measuring Systems also hosts a dinner on Tuesday evening for all our guests.

Note: The "Understanding Liquid Particle Counters" book is an excellent supplemental resource (available for $129.99) however, it is not required for the course.

CEUs are awarded for this class upon request

For Hotel and More Information
Particle College will be held in Boulder, Colorado the base of the spectacular Rocky Mountains. The meeting/hotel site will be at the Boulder Marriot. If you would like additional information about Particle College, please contact Ande Abercrombie at aabercrombie@pmeasuring.com

FAQs

Question: Is there a shuttle service from the airport to the hotel?
Answer: Yes, you can make arrangements with the Boulder Super Shuttle for transportation; no car rental is necessary. Their telephone number is (303) 227-0000.

Question: What time does the class start/end so that I can book flights?
Answer: Registration starts at 7:15 am and the class starts at 8:00 am on the first day, and runs until 5:00 pm on the second day. However, you set your own agenda and are free to leave whenever is convenient for you.

On-site Particle College
If your company has several employees who would benefit from Particle College, we also offer customized, on-site training. We will develop a program to cater to your applications, and an expert in contamination monitoring will visit you at your location to deliver interactive presentations and hands-on demonstrations.

The cost of on-site training depends on the scope of the seminar. Contact services@pmeasuring.com or your local sales representative for more information.

Course Descriptions

Particle Physics
Cleanroom basics will be introduced including a review and comparison of ISO and FS209E classifications. Particle size, composition, types, and sources are reviewed in a detailed look at particle basics. Also discussed are commonly used measurements to define the size of irregular shaped particles and the implication of each technique. Additionally, particle concentrations in liquid and air samples are explored.

Particle Mechanics
Particle behavior is presented by reviewing the transport characteristics, interactions and various forces on particles. Filtration mechanisms and filter efficiency curves are introduced for air and liquid systems. The role of index of refraction, particle size and shape are reviewed. In addition, the principles of Rayleigh and Mie light scattering are covered including basic scattering relationships.

Monitoring Particles in Air
Introduction to the types of particle counters used to monitor aerosol particles. The equipment includes particle counters, spectrometers, monitors and sensors. A comparison between mobile, fixed, and sequential monitoring along with the advantages and disadvantages of each method are covered. Additionally, specialized applications and possible types of devices to monitor those applications are discussed.

Molecular Contamination Monitoring
An overview describing molecular contamination, its sources, effects, and how it interacts with materials. The objective of this session is to provide an understanding of common molecular contamination problems and how these problems can be resolved

Introduction to Particle Monitoring in Liquids
This presentation introduces the different types of liquid particle counting systems and discusses the pros and cons of each. Methods of performance verification are presented and data is used to help provide a better understanding of calibration accuracy in these high performance products.

Surface Contamination
This presentation introduces the methods and techniques for part cleanliness testing of common parts used within the semiconductor, disc drive, automotive, and pharmaceutical/medical device industries. Topics include methods of particle extraction, techniques for measuring particles, data analysis, and optimizing parameters of ultrasonic extraction.

Advanced Liquid Particle Counting
We delve into the more difficult areas of liquid particle counting, including what happens to particle sizing when the index of refraction changes in the fluid, particle, or both. What constitutes statistical significance and is there anything that can improve the data quality? In the remaining time we will discuss the issues of importance to you. Bring your difficult liquid application questions and we will share our knowledge with you.

Particle Testing in Pharmaceutical Liquids
USP, EP and JP requirements define the limits and test requirements for pharmaceutical injectable liquids. The session looks at those requirements and how the original limits were defined. It also reviews USP guidance and suitable acceptance criteria for equipment used in liquid particle testing.

Environmental Monitoring Regulations
Overview of GMP regulations for Environmental Monitoring, with a focus on aseptic processing and the differences between cleanroom classification and monitoring. FDA and EU GMP requirements are contrasted throughout the disucssion. Includes requirements for particle (nonviable) and microbial (viable) monitoring in cleanroom air and compressed gas.

Advanced Light Scattering
This presentation will look in depth at Mie, Rayleigh, and other theories of light scattering. We will discuss the origins of the equations and how they were derived. Additionally, we'll take a closer look at the influence of particle size, index of refraction, and shape on scattering intensity.

Microbial Air Sampling Techniques and Regulations
Present and discuss EU and FDA GMP requirements for cleanroom and process monitoring for microbioloigcal contamination. Session includes further introductory discussions on different techniques and technologies that are applied across regulated industries to monitor for microbial contaminants with a particular focus on active air sampling devices.

Nanoparticles and Their Measurement
A discussion of nanoparticle sources and impacts, technologies for measuring nanoparticles, and behavior of nanoparticles in clean environments. Technologies including condensation particle counters, electrometers, and scanning mobility particle sizers will be discussed.

Particle Counter Calibration
This session is a technical aid to understanding the importance of correct particle counter calibration. The key elements of the ISO-21501 calibration standard are explained.

Particle Counter Data Interpretation
Topics include: Understanding system reports, interpreting data and trend analysis, setting alarm limits, and improving process control.

Particle Transport & Sampling
Different aerosol particle sampling methods utilize a length of tubing to transport the sample to the particle counter. Learn how tubing affects particle counts and different causes of particle transport losses. A demonstration in the course will allow attendees to witness the effect of particle transport losses over a short tubing length.

Recent Advances in Liquid Particle Counting Technology
This presentation discusses the functional advantages of NanoVision Technology over traditional analog type measurement approaches. Advanced topics and concepts are covered including cosmic noise exclusion, near-volumetric performance, 40 nm particle detection, and particle measurement in high molecular scatter fluids.

Demonstration Stations

Liquid Particle Monitoring & Data Analysis
This session will focus on using statistics to determine the sizing accuracy and counting efficiency of a liquid particle counter. The technique for calculating these statistics will be reviewed, and we will utilize the Sizing Accuracy calculation spreadsheet that we have developed.

Cleanroom Certification and Products
A discussion of the differences between Certification vs Monitoring of cleanrooms and how the particle counter used for certification impacts the certification process. Review of ISO 14644-1 and 2 and what is required to perform a clean room certification. An overview of the various Particle Measuring System products which can be used for cleanroom certification.

Facility Monitoring Systems
Examine clean room monitoring systems with an emphasis on the software utilized to collect and analyze the particulate data. Review how the data is transmitted and collected from the instruments and how data can be used for process analysis. Analyze historical particulate data to see how the software can convert data into information.

Aerosol Monitoring Equipment
This demonstration station provides an opportunity to understand the interface of the particle counter, perform a simple setup, take air samples, and review/understand the data. The demo equipment will include the most common particle counters employed in airborne contamination applications.

Molecular Contamination Monitoring Techniques
An in-depth discussion of how molecular contamination is monitored. Analytical techniques and monitoring strategies will be presented. The objective of this session is to provide the information necessary to establish a cleanroom molecular contamination monitoring program.

*Book: Understanding Liquid Particle Counters