Information and Poster Session Scheduled at Lab Automation Conference from 1-3:00 PM on Monday, January 28, 2008

Carlsbad, CA – Asymtek, a Nordson company (NASDAQ: NDSN) and a leader in dispensing and jetting technology, announces that it will present the poster Design for Automation of Lateral Flow Test Strips at the Lab Automation Conference in Palm Springs, California on January 28, 2008 between 1:00 and 3:00 PM. The poster highlights some of the challenges manufacturers meet when dispensing reagents on lateral flow test strips, and shows how jet dispensing the reagent and using high speed optical inspection techniques enable verification of the dot presence following dispensing.

Manufacturers of test strips for in-vitro analysis face numerous problems in designing a manufacturing process that consistently and accurately places a dot of reagent in a desired location. As manufacturing volumes increase, the typical response is to increase the number of dispense heads so multiple strips can be dispensed simultaneously. This can lead to problems balancing fluid line length to multiple needles; also, needles have manufacturing variations that can lead to variation in dispensed dot size.

The poster shows how very small amounts of fluid can be deposited on a surface very quickly using jet dispensing. The jet is insensitive to the distance between the strip and the jet tip, a common problem associated with needle dispensing. Using a single jet head eliminates needle variations, and jets can be operated at 200 Hz.

Regulations require manufacturers to verify that a dot is dispensed and it’s in its intended location on a test strip. This can be challenging if the fluid evaporates quickly. The poster details how high speed optical inspection systems can detect dots of liquids, even transparent materials, and verify that the dot has been dispensed onto a strip and confirms its location. The optical inspection system is capable of inspecting 3550 sq. mm/second (5.5” sq/second) and can keep cadence with the process.

Asymtek will also be exhibiting at the Lab Automation Show in booth #369.