PDA Technical Glossary
PDA Technical Reports are highly valued membership benefits because they offer expert guidance and opinions on important scientific and regulatory topics and are used as essential references by industry and regulatory authorities around the world. These reports include terms which explain the material and enhance the reader’s understanding.
The database presented here includes the glossary terms from all current technical reports. The database is searchable by keyword, topic, or by technical report. Each definition provided includes a link to the source technical report within the PDA Technical Report Portal.
(Please select "All" to restart a filtered Search)
Refine Results
Filter By Technical Report Number
Filter By Technical Report Keyword
Filter By Technical Report Category
Aspect Ratio
The length of a particle or fiber divided by its width. (TR85)
Source:
Intrinsic Particles
Those particles that arise from sources related to the formulation, packaging, or assembly processes. In each of these cases, the particle material (e.g., glass, stainless steel, rubber, or gasket material) could be identified as a known product-contact material. (TR78)
A particle that comes from within the primary process. These are qualified product contact materials and are often associated with the primary packaging components. They are unplanned but not unexpected.(TR85)
Source:
Ready-To-Use
A marketing term often used to describe the benefits of single-use technology or SUS. This designation has no regulatory or scientific basis supporting suitability for use and the end user is responsible to evaluate and determine if appropriate quality requirements are met for their application. (TR66)
Washed and sterilized components supplied in a package suitable for transfer into an aseptic processing area and used with sterile injectable products without further processing. (TR85)
Source:
Shape factor (SF)/Circularity
Provides information on the roundness of a particle. The SF value is between 0 and 1, where 1, represents a circle. A is the area of the particle and p is the perimeter. (TR85)