When the smell of bratwurst fills the air and the cool wind has just a bit of moisture in it, you may be traveling between the enormous halls at the Messe Dusseldorf Center in Germany. Anyone who has visited this event in the past knows the sheer volume of attendees and exhibitors, making it difficult to find a company that may be able to aid with an upcoming design or development project.

With this in mind, MPO presents its annual series of Q&A sessions with a number of supply chain companies exhibiting at the show. Perhaps Nelson Labs will have the answers for your current development idea and help you get to the finish line faster. We spoke with Katleen Peymen, senior expert healthcare reprocessing, at the company to get some additional insights on what Nelson Labs does and how it may be able to serve you.

Sean Fenske: What technology or service are you emphasizing at Medica/CompaMed this year?

Katleen Peymen: This year, we are emphasizing healthcare reprocessing at CompaMed.

Fenske: What’s the most common challenge customers inquire about and how do you address it?

Peymen: The biggest challenge we see for healthcare reprocessing is customers aren’t always aware of how to design their validations. There are many considerations that influence the parameters. This is where our dedicated experts can help and provide added value.

Fenske: If you could give one piece of advice to companies seeking a manufacturing partner before they make a decision, what would it be?

Peymen: As mentioned previously, appropriate design is the most challenging aspect of any cleaning, disinfection, or sterilization validation. Therefore, it’s important to select a test lab with the appropriate expertise.

Fenske: What are the forces driving medical device manufacturers to seek your technology/services over doing it in-house?

Peymen: Part of it is the expertise as already mentioned. That is, not only in terms of knowledge about guidelines, but as a test lab, we come in contact with feedback from different regulatory authorities. Consequently, we are aware of what kind of regulatory feedback to expect. This is a major advantage. Additionally, validations are expected to be performed in accredited labs, whether this is GLP or ISO 17025. Maintaining this capability in-house is not an easy feat for manufacturers.

Fenske: In what ways is your company able to aid in getting a product (project) to market faster?

Peymen: For many customers, healthcare reprocessing is the final step in the process. However, our consulting team can help with every step of the way, including from the design phase of the device. With interaction established at the start, red flags can be tackled early in the process and don’t cause issues at a later time when they are often more costly.

Nelson Labs is located at Medica/CompaMed in Hall 8A, Booth/Stand P33.