TOC Cleaning Validation Swab

The Total Organic Carbon Cleaning Validation Swab is a tool used in the cleaning validation process to sample and detect total organic carbon (TOC) levels on equipment surfaces or specific areas.
It collects possible organic residue by wiping the target surface and then analyzes the swabbed sample for TOC to assess the effectiveness of the cleaning process and the level of residue after cleaning.

The use of a TOC Clean Verification Swab typically involves the following steps:
Preparation: Ensure that the swab, sampling apparatus and testing equipment are ready.
Wipe Sampling: Use the swab to wipe the surface to be validated for cleaning effectiveness, ensuring that the swab makes full contact with the surface and collects any possible residue.
Sample Processing: The sample collected on the swab is processed appropriately, e.g., extracted, dissolved, etc.
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Detection: The TOC content of the sample is determined using the appropriate testing equipment.
Data Analysis: The test results are analyzed and compared with the set standards or limits to determine whether the cleaning validation has been passed.

Below you will find a detailed description of the Total Organic Carbon Cleaning Verification Swab:
Principle of Composition
Brush head material: mostly polyester knitted fabric and other polyester fiber materials, such as TEXWIPE’s low TOCα® swab series, its polyester knitted fabric after proprietary technology cleaning, its own carbon content is extremely low, which can effectively avoid the interference of the test results, and double-layer, double-side knitted structure can retain more pollutants to ensure the accuracy of sampling.
Handle Material: Usually made of polypropylene, it has good chemical resistance, which can prevent the introduction of additional pollutants due to the contact of different chemicals during the process of use and ensure the reliability of the test results, such as Brilliance Yang, Mediatek’s TOC cleaning validation swabs are made of this type of handle.
Overall design: The overall design of the swabs is precise, rigorous and consistent. Some swabs have a notched design with a breakaway handle, which makes it easy to put the head into the vial for subsequent testing and reduces contamination during handling.
Features
Low TOC content: The high quality Total Organic Carbon (TOC) cleaning verification swabs have a very low TOC content of less than 50µg/L (50ppb), which ensures that the swabs themselves do not interfere with the TOC results of the samples during the testing process, so that the test data can truly reflect the cleanliness of the surface being tested.
High Sampling Recovery Rate: The special material and structure of the brush head can effectively entrap the pollutants and release them during the subsequent processing such as putting diluents, thus ensuring a high sampling recovery rate, which helps to assess the cleaning effect more accurately.
Good chemical resistance: Due to the characteristics of the polypropylene handle and other materials, the swabs have good chemical resistance and can adapt to different chemical environments for sampling work, which can be widely used in a variety of industries in the cleaning verification.
Multiple sizes: To meet the sampling needs of different scenarios and sites, TOC cleaning validation swabs are usually available in multiple sizes to facilitate sampling of different required sites, such as TEXWIPE’s TX714K/TX761K series offers two sizes.
Sterility: Some of the swabs have been sterilized and are manufactured in a sterile environment and process, which can be used in applications requiring high sterility, such as cleaning and validation of biologics, pharmaceuticals, etc., and can effectively prevent microbial contamination brought about by the swabs themselves.
Usage
Preparation: The operator should wear work clothes suitable for the test, including clean gloves, mask, gown, hairnet, etc., and operate in a clean environment. Ensure that the TOC Cleaning Verification Swabs, sample bottles, etc. used are appropriate and not contaminated.
Wipe Sampling: Select the appropriate size TOC Cleaning Verification Swab for the type and size of surface to be inspected. Use the swab to wipe sample the target surface, ensuring that the swab makes full contact with the surface to collect any organics that may remain. For hard-to-reach areas or small spaces, take advantage of the shape and size of the swab to reach deeper for precision wipe sampling.
Sample Processing: The wiped swab is placed into a pre-prepared low TOC content sample vial, which is usually filled with a quantity of ultra-pure low TOC water or other suitable solvent, such as Brilliance’s TOC Cleaning Verification Swabs, typically 40 ml of ultra-pure low TOC water is injected into the vial, which is then sealed and vortexed to mix and dissolve or disperse the contaminants on the swab in the solvent sufficiently to allow for subsequent TOC analysis. subsequent TOC analysis.
Detection and Analysis: The solution in the sample bottle is tested for total organic carbon (TOC) using a professional TOC analyzer. During the test, it is necessary to follow the operating instructions of the TOC analyzer to ensure the accuracy of the test results, including the setting of instrument parameters and sample injection. Finally, the results are used to assess the cleanliness of the surface to be tested and to determine whether it meets the appropriate cleaning standards or limits.