U.S. Company Launches Nano Product Registry and NanoSafe Tested Label
NANOSAFE INC. (Blacksburg, VA) announced the launch of its NANOSAFE TESTED™ Program and companion nanotechnology product registry — the NANOTECH REGISTER™. The first product to receive the NANOSAFE TESTED™ designation and be added to the NANOTECH REGISTER™ is the Labconco Inc. XPert® Nano™ System, a laboratory particle containment, which recently was shown to contain 99.99% of a 20 nm aerosol challenge.
Products that have been NANOSAFE TESTEDTM are subjected to defined testing criteria developed from peer-reviewed literature and comparable standardized testing methods. Test results are reported in two ways: first, a comprehensive, proprietary test report is provided to the client; second, a one-page, non-proprietary summary report is posted to the NANOTECH REGISTERTM where it may be viewed freely by the general public.
NANOSAFE TESTED™ means that NANOSAFE INC. subjected a manufacturer’s product to defined testing criteria developed from existing test standards and peer-reviewed literature at an independent test facility. The purpose of the NANOSAFE TESTED™ mark and summary report is to indicate the testing was performed in accordance with the criteria and that the manufacturer agrees to make summary results available to the public on the NANOTECH REGISTER™.
Adam Keithley, Marketing Manager for Labconco, commented on the importance of testing laboratory safety products with engineered nanomaterials: "Labconco is committed to laboratory safety and felt that in the absence of existing standards or regulations it was very important to proactively subject our enclosure to independent validation. NanoSafe's program provides the expert, knowledgeable and state-of-the-art testing necessary to validate the containment of nanoparticles in equipment like ours. We believe that carrying their "NanoSafe Tested" designation is a key part of the assurance users can have in the nanoparticulate containment ability of our XPert Nano System."
According to NANOSAFE INC. President, Matthew Hull, “The NANOSAFE TESTED™ program is about improving transparency. We’re finding that members of the nanotechnology community want to be proactive in engaging environmental health and safety issues—but they need effective ways to do it.” Hull further commented that, “By voluntarily subjecting their products to third-party testing and agreeing to have summary results reported publicly, companies can take a proactive position on managing risks while protecting intellectual property.”
Founded in 2007, NANOSAFE INC. works with its international network of nanoscientists and EHS professionals to help organizations manage nanotechnology environmental health and safety risks, and offers a full range of consulting, research, and testing services to clients throughout industry, academia, and government. NANOSAFE INC. is headquartered in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center’s KnowledgeWorks Business Accelerator. The Center houses more than 135 high-tech businesses employing over 2,000 people.
Adapted from a Nanosafe Press Release