Nanoemulsions

• pharmaceutical
• vaccines
• cosmetics
• personal care
• food and nutraceutical
• chemical and industrial sectors.

Microfluidizer^® technology has been proven to be ideal for creating nanoemulsions not least because it can increase emulsion stability and facilitate efficient sterile filtration.

Additionally, samples as small as 2 mL can be processed with an assurance that this can be scaled up to hundreds of liters per hour on the production scale machines with the same results due to the fixed geometry Interaction Chambers^TM found on each model.

The following are just some of the examples of common nanoemulsions produced using Microfluidizer^® processors:

Vaccine Adjuvants: Some of the most effective vaccine adjuvants are nanoemulsions incorporating squalene, notably MF59 (produced by Seqirus) and AS03 (produced by GSK). Microfluidics has been collaborating on vaccine adjuvant research with the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) and have proved the repeated achievement of particle target sizes enabling sterile filtration of the nanoemulsions.

Here’s an example of particle size distributions that were achieved using the Microfluidizer^® technology first developed on the lab-scale M110EH, and then scaled up to the production scale M7250.

Both drug delivery and vaccine nanoemulsions must be sterilized. Different strategies are available and include autoclave and gamma irradiation. But sterile filtration is one of the least expensive and most gentle sterilization methods available.

In order to pass nanoemulsions through sterilizing filters without losing product or clogging the filters, it is really important to have very narrow particle size distributions with virtually all of the particles less than 200 nm.

This phenomenon was first detailed by biotechnology company CORIXA.  They found that in the sterilizing process they were losing a considerable amount of material of their nanoemulsion that was produced on a homogenizer.

Instability and phase separation of emulsions and suspensions are common challenges.

Research and production teams find it problematic creating nanoemulsions that are stable.  This is because most technologies cannot produce the particle size distribution necessary to reach the product goals.

To overcome these issues Microfluidizer^® Processors use a unique fixed-geometry Interaction Chamber^TM to reduce particle sizes uniformly and to a level unmatched by other methods.

This enables customers to not only optimize formulations and achieve stability, but to also enjoy the cost efficiencies offered by products with a prolonged shelf life.

Microfluidizer^® high shear fluid processors are frequently compared to conventional homogenizers because they are used in similar applications.  However, the results achieved can be dramatically different.

The difference lies in the Interaction Chamber^TM and pumping system which provides a uniform high shear environment for the product stream during processing.  This ensures repeatable results with particle sizes on target with tight particle size distributions.  The process is also reliably scalable.

By contrast homogenizers use variable-geometry valves as the shear mechanism alongside a constant volume pumping system which does not precisely control the processing environment. Product is thereby exposed to significantly more variations in shear which results in larger average particle sizes, a wider distribution and scaleup challenges.

Scaling up from lab equipment to full-scale production units is guaranteed, bringing cost benefits to production volumes.

This is achieved by the fact that the same Interaction Chambers^TM are used on all units - resulting in consistent quality and scalability. 

The microchannels are placed in parallel on the production equipment - ensuring the same processing methods on both lab and production machines.