Allows the synthesis of beads or capsules of varying sizes using natural polymers that can solidify in an aqueous environment
Benefits
The structure and operation of the instrument allow to:
- produce micro-particles and micro-capsules with controllable sizes ranging from 20µm to 1mm depending on the nozzle used
- encapsulate particularly delicate actives such as heat-sensitive molecules
- synthesize highly reproducible, monodisperse micro-particles and microcapsules between 80µm and 1mm
Applications for Nanomnia
With this tool, Nanomnia can produce micro-particles, precisely modulating the size, and micro-capsules containing a liquid core formed by oils or emulsions.
Particles containing live or quiescent cells can also be produced, which find use from the field of the new frontier of biocontrol in agriculture, to tissue regeneration with the study of cellular scaffolds that mimic the structure of human organs.
Specifically, we work on:
- nutraceutical products consisting of capsules with a liquid core
- micro-particles to encapsulate and protect cosmetic actives
- microparticles of compounds suitable for the formulation of new building materials
- biopolymer scaffolds for the study of 3D cell cultures
Structure
The main elements that constitute the instrument are:
- pressure generator
- bottle (or syringe) to hold the samples
- pressure chamber
- nozzle to define droplet size (20µm - 1mm)
- particle solidification vessel.
How does it work
The sample consists of the polymer and the molecule to be encapsulated, mixed in appropriate concentrations and ratios. The mixture is pushed into a pressure chamber where, by a laminar flow of air, it us carried in the form of a spray and pushed through a nozzle from which it exits as a stream of droplets with controlled sizes.
The generated spray then precipitates into a solution that can solidify the polymer more or less strongly, and the resulting encapsulate can be stored in liquid form or dried, depending on the desired end product.
