encapsulator – new product line concept of encapsulation

BRG-Conference Archamps March 2012 1

Encapsulator – New Product Line

Fabrice BELLETEIX Product Manager Encapsulation


Concept of Encapsulation

Immobilization of active agents like drugs, cells, microbes, enzymes, flavor etc. into a three-dimensional structure of polymers, lipids etc.

Mild and physiologic conditions are possible with hydrogels like alginate, needed for animal and plant cell encapsulation.


Why Encapsulation?

!  To stabilize enzymes (e.g. protection from other enzymes) and to trigger enzyme activity.

!  To protect active agents from environmental conditions and interactions with other agents.

!  To coat particles with a functional coat to optimize storage stability, to mask taste, to modulate release.

!  To increase convenience for end-user, e.g. handling of dangerous agents (safety improvement), dosing, storage.

!  To gain competitive advantages (marketing), e.g. visual effects. !  To protect cells against immune system, e.g. cell implantation.

Applications in food, cosmetic, biotech, medicine, pharma... products


A Wide Variety of Applications

Drug delivery Active ingredient in biodegradable polymer

Food enrichment Alginate capsules with lipid core

Taste masking Gelatine capsules with active ingredient in lipid core

Drug delivery Active ingredient in alginate bead


A Wide Variety of Applications

!  Encapsulated active agent: !  Drugs !  Vaccines !  Enzymes !  Microbes !  Cells !  Flavours !  Oils !  Pesticides !  Pigments

!  Polymers for bead matrices !  and membrane formation: !  Alginate !  Gelatine !  Carrageen !  Cellulose sulfate !  Chitosan !  Waxes


History of the Encapsulator

1994 Inotech Inc. (Switzerland) started development of Encapsulator for bioencapsulation.

1995 R&D-grant from Swiss government 1996 Launch of first Encapsulator 2000 Foundation of EncapBioSystems Inc. 2000 Launch of second Encapsulator generation 2002 Launch of third Encapsulator generation 2008 Inotech Inc. closed and sold its encapsulation

business to EncapBioSystems Inc. 2009 Launch of the fourth Encapsulator generation 2011 BUCHI Labortechnik Inc. takes over the Encapsulator

business. The Encapsulator is further improved and adapted to BUCHI’s quality standard and corporate identity.


Functional Principle of the Encapsulator (1)


Functional Principle of the Encapsulator (2)


Functional principle - efficient vibration technique

! Droplet formation ! Formation of spherical droplets with a single nozzle system for matrix encapsulation

! Capsule formation ! Core/shell capsule formation with a concentric nozzle system in a one step procedure

!  laminar liquid jet breaks up into equal sized droplets by a superimposed vibration

!  vibration frequency determines the quantity of droplets, e.g. 700 Hz generates 700 droplets per second


Influence of the Electrostatic Dispersion Unit


Beads produced WITH the use of the electrostatic dispersion unit:

Spherical & mono-disperse beads

Beads produced WITHOUT the use of the electrostatic dispersion unit:

Non-spherical beads, Jumbo beads

Influence of the Electrostatic Dispersion Unit


Complete systems

Encapsulator B-390 Encapsulator B-395 Pro

User group !  Education unit in academia !  Starter model in food and pharma

R&D

User group !  Pharma R&D !  Advanced research in

academia


Process parameter table


Multi-phase Beads and Capsules

Initial bead

Coating with active substance

Coating with protection membrane1

3-step process

Core phase with matrix and active substance (homogenous mixture, emulsion or suspension)

Shell phase with protection membrane

1-step process Co-extrusion


Easy Scale-up by Multiplying the Nozzles


Potential of Encapsulator

Versatile Technology Beads and capsules produced with the same technology. Immobilization of a large number of active ingredients and cells in a lot of different polymer matrices with the same technology !

Uniform Microbeads Spherical shape, narrow size distribution resulting in good granular flow.

Selectable Bead Size Bead diameters from 0.15 to 2 mm.

Sterile Production Technology designed for aseptic production.

Mild Conditions Full viability of encapsulated living material.

Easy Scalable From 10 g up to several kg per batch.


Thank you for your attention

International contact : Dr. Raphael Plüss Product Manager Encapsulation

BÜCHI Labortechnik AG Meierseggstr. 40, Postfach CH-9230 Flawil 1 Switzerland Tel. dir. +41 (0)71 394 63 73 Fax +41 (0)71 394 64 64 [email protected]

encapsulator – new product line concept of encapsulation

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