Demonstration video

Benefits

Continuous, scalable

• Streams of mono-dispersed particles at controllable dimensions with a narrow particle size distribution (typical CV~10%)

Low maintenance

• Low-cost operation,  with no moving parts, that are easy to clean
• Small equipment footprint (able to fit into a small briefcase)
•  SS316 & PTFE parts for high material compatibility and simple sterilisation

High Volume, GMP ready

• Throughput volumes from discovery phase through to clinical and manufacturing (0.06L/hr-1500L/hr)

Efficient Cross Flow Mixing

• Preservation of biological activity of biomolecules after encapsulation
•  Up to 30% lower energy usage compared to other emulsion generation methods

Applications

Micropores membrane technology is ideal for creating complex formulations and to solve formulation challenges to deliver the highest performing, most efficient, cost-effective formulated delivery systems.

Micropore’s patented crossflow membrane technology is used in applications including pharmaceuticals/ medicines, food/ nutrition, cosmetics/ skincare, household products, agrochemicals/ farming and construction.

Some of the most recent applications include:

• Fragrance encapsulation

Fragrance chemicals can be found in laundry detergents, soaps and personal care products, however fragrances exhibit high volatility and rapidly lose their aroma or, worse, transform into unpleasant odours, if subject to prolonged atmospheric exposure. Microencapsulation of the fragrance material applies a protective coating. Micropore Encapsulation technologies can provide the repeatability, reproducibility and fine control not previously offered by historic emulsification techniques.

• API Crystallisation

Crystallisation defines an APIs physical properties and ability to deliver the desired therapeutic effect and to avoid undesirable effect  Micropore’s robust continuous membrane technology can eliminate many of the issues faced by both batch cooled and anti-solvent approaches to crystallisation and is scalable to tonnes per hour.

• Core-shell coacervation in drug delivery

Complex coacervation involves the microencapsulation of products where the core is surrounded by a shell (2 – 300 μm) which protects it against degradation while enabling control over payload delivery under specific conditions. Eg. Selective encapsulation of therapeutic nucleotides, such as miRNA mimics, small interfering RNAs, and transcripts to accommodate a wide range of therapeutic strategies including inhibition of atherogenic miR-33a in atherosclerosis.

• Hydrogels in drug delivery & biomedical engineering

Hydrogels consist of tunable 3D, hydrophilic, polymeric networks that protect labile drugs from degradation and assist their controlled release. Currently, hydrogels are used for manufacturing contact lenses, hygiene products, wound dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds and drug delivery systems. Micropores’ Membrane emulsification overcomes many existing production challenges by forming hydrogel droplets directly as a w/o emulsion. Precise size control can be achieved with perfectly spherical droplets in sizes less than 50μm.

• Liposomes & Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)

Liposomes and LNPs are amphiphilic structures used as drug delivery vehicles to encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). LNPs have gained prominence recently due to their ability to deliver therapeutic payloads, including DNA and mRNA for vaccines, precisely through treating their surface with proteins allowing highly specific binding to a target cell type.

• Sustained release PLGA microspheres

PLGA (Poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid)) is used for surgical implants and sutures because of its biodegradability, biocompatibility and sustained-release properties. However PLGA is not easy to formulate into sustained release drug products meaning inventor drug products and generic versions remain scarce with only 20 drugs approved in 30+ years. Micropore’s technology is an inherently gentle process that results in very high-quality microspheres when using a double emulsion process, because the primary emulsion is not broken during secondary emulsification. Micropore’s continuous manufacturing technology offers no risk in scaleup. No product degradation – Right size first time – Reduced compliance issues.

• Silica particles

Mesoporous silica particles (MSP) have gained wide popularity over recent years because of their advantages of uniform and tunable pore size, easy independent functionalisation of the surface, internal and external pores and the gating mechanism of the pore opening make it a distinctive drug carrier. Their high loading capacity due to the large pore volume and surface engineering properties allows for better drug targeting. These versatile carriers can be used for loading a variety of cargos ranging from drugs to macromolecules such as proteins, DNA and RNA.

• Phase Change Materials

Phase change materials (PCMs) allow the storage of large amounts of latent heat during phase transition. They have the potential to both increase the effciency of renewable energies such as solar power through storage of excess energy, and to reduce overall energy demand through passive thermal regulation. NASA has identified more than a hundred of these materials. In addition to passive energy storage, they have application in thermoregulated fabrics, high power electronics, telecommunication installations and microprocessors. PCMs are not suitable for use without prior encapsulation. Encapsulation in a shell material provides benefits including protection of the PCM from the external environment and increased specific surface area to improve heat transfer.