Crystallization technology provider Technobis Crystallization Systems has launched the Crystal16 V3, a new multi-reactor crystallizer for medium-throughput solubility determination. The latest version has integrated transmissivity technology and enhanced analytical capabilities, in a streamlined unibody design, to reduce the time and resources consumed in crystallization experiments and analysis.
Technobis’ customers report that the HPLC method for solubility determination takes up to 112 hours to complete. To analyse 16 samples, scientists will spend eight hours preparing the samples, 32 hours carrying out the multistep processes, and 72 hours completing equilibration. Any errors significantly affect the quality of results, so laboratories often sacrifice more time and resources than is necessary to ensure a reliable result.
“To save time and reduce operating costs, we introduced the scientific community to the original Crystal16 benchtop crystallization system in 2005,” explains Dr Carmen Guguta at Technobis. “The user-friendly multi-reactor could perform 16 different experiments and had integrated turbidity sensors and flexible software for generating simple phase diagrams and solubility curves, ideal for a wide range of industries. However, as pharmaceutical laboratories, analytical chemists, and formulation scientists are now seeing increased demands to analyze more samples in less time, the efficiency of in situ laboratory equipment in increasing throughput is vital."
The new Crystal16 V3 expands on the success of previous models using enhanced in-line analytical features and new software capabilities. With integrated transmissivity technology, scientists can easily determine clear and cloud points, resulting in solubility data and metastable zone width at an early stage. Solubility curves for four solvents can be generated in just two hours using less than 100mg of material – an estimated 20 times reduction in the amount of material needed in HPLC and equilibrium methods.
The V3 also has improved particle detection capabilities for crystallization and nucleation studies. Scientists can control the temperature of all four block reactors to generate accurate temperature-dependent solubility curves in a matter of hours. Experiments can take place between -20 and 150°C. Furthermore, chiller colling is also available with the Crystal16 V3, facilitating temperatures as low as -25°C with all four blocks in parallel.
The new software package available with the Crystal16 V3 offers improved research and analysis capabilities. The program is automated and predefined temperature profiles for certain compounds can be uploaded for ease and flexibility. All solubility and transmissivity data for all four block reactors can be examined on the same interface, making data analysis simple and more efficient.
