Freeze drying is a classic method for the separation of water or other solvents under mild conditions, and is routinely used to prepare biological drugs, such as monoclonal antibodies and proteins, to improve their shelf life. Using lyophilisation to remove the water from the product keeps it stable until it is ready for use, when it is re-constituted with water just prior to administration.
Buchi said its new machine - the Glass Oven B-585 - would be ideal for small-scale applications, for example freeze-drying material intended for clinical trial use, or to conduct feasibility studies of the drying behaviour of a proposed formulation. It could also be used as an alternative to standard drying methods for temperature-sensitive research materials, said the firm.
Among the disadvantages of full-scale freeze-drying ovens are the long process times and the resulting high energy consumption, according to Buchi. The company claims that the design of the new product, and particularly the even heating of the radiation tube, allows process times to be shortened.
The device is flexible, according to Buchi, and can be used for sample drying up to 300°C, as well as sensitive distillations and sublimation processes (the latter with an optional glass insert).
For more information on the Glass Oven B-585, visit Buchi's website.