Microfluidics has introduced new continuous crystallization and multi-phase reaction systems.

“Medium- to large-sized pharmaceutical companies are actively looking at continuous manufacturing crystallization techniques,” Up to now, they haven’t found technologies that can actually manufacture and crystallize materials in continuous fashion, and get the particle size and properties they are looking for.”

Microfluidizer® original “top down” high shear fluid technology is used for particle size reduction of suspensions and emulsions to nanosized levels, and also for cell disruption. Based on the same platform, in contrast to well defined particle reduction, Microfluidics Reaction Technology (MRT) is used for the oposite ”bottom up” production of pharmaceutical nanoparticles through chemical reactions and physical processes, such as crystallization. In crystallization, MRT ensures control of the nucleation and growth processes, which results in uniform crystal growth and stabilization rates. The technology also offers potentially control of polymorphs and reaction selectivity.

The heart of the technology is the interaction chamber which consists of fixed geometry microchannels. Flow through the chamber is characterized by high fluid velocities (up to 500 m/s) and subsequent impingement of fluid jets to the chamber walls or to one another.

Parallel arrays of microchannels ensure the scalability of the technology to tens of liters per minute.

Note: Pressure 40.000 PSI  is circa 2750 Bar