Leading with Particle Sizing in Wet Processes

Visitors to the Malvern Instruments booth at Interphex 2009 had the opportunity to hear from the company’s process specialists how the flexible design of the Insitec LPS wet process particle size analyser enables it to be tailored for specific applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Featured alongside the on-line system was the SyNIRgi near infrared chemical imaging system, the award winning Morphologi G3 automated particle characterisation system, and the new Kinexus rheometer platform.

Incorporating a sampler, pre-diluter, cascade diluter and measurement cell, the Insitec LPS is a fully automated particle sizing system that measures particles from 0.1 to 1000 microns in almost any wet stream. Drawing on Malvern’s extensive experience, and in close consultation with the customer, each component is tailored to the individual application.

Insitec LPS is fully automated and is supplied with the Malvern Link software package, which simplifies operation and facilitates integration with existing control platforms. Operating 24/7 it requires little manual intervention and generates particle size data at the frequency needed for real-time process control. The availability of an Intrinsically Safe (IS) version further extends the system’s applicability within the pharmaceutical industry.

In the laboratory, the SyNIRgi near infrared chemical imaging (NIR-CI) system is now used widely in the pharmaceutical industry. Its application to solid dosage forms, for example, allows determination of content uniformity, blending efficiency, polymorph distribution, moisture content, contaminant location and coating and layer thickness.

Malvern has also added a new capability to its Morphologi G3 automated particle characterisation system, enabling the fully automated detection, enumeration and size classification of foreign particulate matter (FPM) collected on a filter.

This is especially important in controlling particulate contamination of materials for injection or inhalation. Analysis of FPM on filters has
traditionally been the preserve of manual light microscopy, but the Morphologi G3 now brings fully automated image analysis to accelerate characterization and remove any operator subjectivity.

Major advances in rheology measurement are epitomised by the radical new platform from Malvern Instruments. Malvern’s Kinexus is
a revolutionary new rotational rheometer platform.

It incorporates technological innovations in the most critical areas of rheometer design, from sample preparation and loading, through measurement set-up and operation, to data analysis and reporting. Adaptive intelligence allows Kinexus to actively guide users at every stage.