ACCELERATED ISOTHERMAL LIGHT EXPOSURE DEVICE
The invention provides novel devices to allow for the accelerated evaluation of the impacts of light exposure on the contents of the packaging system. Through this approach and using the methods described herein, it can be determined how the components of a complete package system perform collectively to influence its photoprotective performance enabling a first ever method to quantitate these impacts. The use of this device with the methods described herein will allow for package designs to be optimized for the photoprotection performances, for the impacts of packaging production defects to be explored, and for the influence of packaging form (e.g., surface area to volume ratio) to be determined. Such device capabilities allow a first ever means to provide simulated retail, isothermal light exposures to complete package systems.
1 . A device for providing light exposure to a package system comprising:
(a) a contained enclosure to isolate an exposure environment;
(b) means to control a temperature within the enclosure;
(c) at least one light source of controlled spectral intensity selected from the group consisting of LED, fluorescent, and halogen;
(d) at least one positioning mechanism located in the enclosure for defining a package system location within the enclosure relative to the at least one light source to ensure controlled light delivery; and
(e) at least one monitoring instrument to confirm an at least one stability measure of the light exposure conditions within the enclosure during light exposure evaluations.
2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one monitoring instrument monitors at least one of light intensity, temperature, and humidity.
3 . The device of claim 1 wherein the temperature within the enclosure is controlled at a temperature of from about 1° C. to about 25° C.
4 . The device of claim 1 wherein the temperature within the enclosure is controlled at a temperature of from about 25° C. to about 40° C.
5 . The device of claim 1 wherein the temperature within the enclosure is controlled at a temperature of above about 40° C.
6 . The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one positioning mechanism is rotatable.