BUCHI's latest products - the Encapsulator B-390 and B-395 Pro - are new systems for the immobilization of enzymes, drugs, flavours & fragrances, vitamins, oils, cells or microbes into a wide range of polymers, such as alginate, carrageen, cellulose sulphate, chitosan, gelatine or pectin, as well as waxes. Uniform capsules and beads are produced with the same technology. Their size is pre-selectable in the range of 0.15 mm to 2 mm with a spherical shape and narrow size distribution (< 5% standard deviation) and a productivity of up to 6'000 beads per second.

The Encapsulator B-390 and B-395 Pro use the same unique technology, which is based on the principle that a laminar flowing liquid jet breaks up into equally sized droplets by superimposed vibration. The selectable vibration frequency determines the quantity of droplets produced; for example, 1'000 droplets are generated per second at 1'000 Hz. The droplet chain is electrostatically charged causing the droplets to repel each other, thus eliminating coalescence. The droplets fall into a hardening solution where the beads are polymerized quickly or in a cooling chamber where the beads solidify.

The clever bench-top design and innovative technology make the Encapsulator B-390 and B-395 Pro especially suitable for the evaluation of encapsulation during the early stages of product development to perform feasibility studies in R&D laboratories and academical research, such as:

Pharmaceutical Industry

• Encapsulation of active ingredients (e.g. poorly soluble drugs in polymeric microspheres)
• Drug delivery systems with controlled drug release (e. g. biodegradable polylactic-acid beads)
• Protection of active ingredients (e.g. reducing interaction with other agents during storage)
• Coating of particles with new functions (e.g. modulated release)
• Taste masking of bitter agents in capsules produced with concentric nozzles
• Encapsulation of vaccines for wild animals
• Sterile encapsulation of mammalian cells and thereby protection of cells from the immune system for cell transplantation (e.g. treatment of gene deficiency)
• Protection of cells from shear stress in stirred reactors
• Capsules as micro systems for cell retention with high cell density
• Immobilization of microbes and enzymes for biotransformation

Food Industry

• Encapsulation of probiotic ingredients (e.g. lactic acid bacteria)
• Stabilization and protection of neutraceuticals (e.g. vitamins, oils)
• Optical enhancement of foodstuff
• Molecular kitchen applications
  

Benefit from the continuous and mild capsule generation, reproducibility and user friendliness. Installation is fast and simple; operation is learned quickly and is easy.

Visit our homepage at www.buchi.com and be inspired by the wide variety of applications ranging from controlled release and protection systems, coatings with functional groups, immobilization studies, or improvement tests of stability, dosage and storage.

If you would like to get more information about BUCHI's Encapsulator products, please contact: Dr. Raphael Plüss, Tel. +41 71 394 63 73 or send an e-mail to pluess.r@buchi.com or go to www.buchi.com