Due to their solubility characteristics, many modern pharmaceutical active ingredients are difficult to make bioavailable in the human body using traditional dosage forms. Bioavailability refers to the extent and rate at which the active ingredient becomes available in the body unchanged. It characterizes both how fast the substance acts and how much of it reaches the target site.

One way to significantly improve bioavailability is to deliver the active ingredients as very small particles, e.g., in the form of nanoparticles or other colloidal carrier systems. A major challenge here is producing these particles in sufficiently high pharmaceutical quality and with minimal size variance. This is exactly where the “DLS feedback-regulated continuous particle production” project comes into play.

Manufacturing nanoparticles in a controlled fashion—and then measuring their properties inline—seems impossible? THINK AGAIN! Microsystems technology paired with flowDLS makes it possible.

The combination of controllable microfluidic nanoparticle generation developed by the Institute for Microtechnology (IMT) at the Technical University of Braunschweig with the flowDLS system developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM in Mainz for measuring nanoparticle sizes via dynamic light scattering, the project aims to realize a feedback-controlled nanoparticle reactor with which the size, size distribution and shape of the manufactured particles can be precisely adjusted and a long-term stable process can be ensured.

Until now, in microfluidic particle generation, the necessary verification of particle properties by measurement and counting has only been possible after preparation using separate analytical devices. The current flowDLS prototype from Fraunhofer IMM already allows particle measurement in macroscopic flow. The device will now be further developed so that, when combined with a microfluidic particle generation unit, it becomes a user‑friendly system for nanoparticle production with integrated analytics—suitable for use in industrial laboratories.

Attractive even for producing tiny quantities of particles

“The special appeal lies in its flexibility, since the overall concept comprises individual modular units,” says project manager Peter Höbel. “A microfluidic module or measurement cuvette that attaches to the system remains interchangeable. This way, the analytical component can later be used in combination with other particle production systems.” A separate in‑house analytical setup is not required. This reduces costs and overall effort for the operator, not least because no specially qualified personnel are required to operate the equipment.

The application partner, ConSenxus GmbH, comes from the instrumentation sector and brings decades of expertise in particle analysis methods, along with the specialized knowledge required to tailor the system to the needs of potential users.