Covaris Introduces the AFA-based, FS220-M Processing System

Covaris, Inc. has announced the introduction of the FS220-M High Performance Formulation Processing System.

The FS220-M system extends the company’s groundbreaking Adaptive Focused Acoustics (AFA) technology platform and has the ability to process sample volumes ranging from microliters to liters with a true continuous flow process. Application areas such as nanosuspensions, liposomes, and emulsions can be scaled from the early Discovery phase work all the way to First-In-Human studies. The FS220-M can be cGMP certified.

Carl Beckett, General Manager of Covaris Process Technologies describes the capabilities of the system. “The FS220-M product represents our most advanced product to date. With the incorporation of dissolved oxygen monitoring and advanced thermal design, it offers unprecedented processing capability for Formulation and novel Drug Delivery systems. Materials which are temperature and/or solvent sensitive (previously not viable with conventional technologies), can now be made into unique Delivery System constructs, thereby expanding the range of materials possible for development. We are excited about the capabilities and the early adoption we are seeing by major pharma”.

The Covaris FS220-M system is suitable for a variety of application uses. For example, when wet milling limited material to produce nanosuspensions the non-contact AFA process has been shown to achieve smaller particle sizes than traditional bead milling while recovering 100% of the material and without the risk of contamination. When used to control crystallization the isothermal AFA process can yield nanoparticle sizes as well as produce specific particle morphologies. Liposomes can be formed both without organic solvents and below the lipid phase transition temperature. Emulsions are enabled with very low levels of surfactants and again at low temperatures (e.g., 4C). This allows processing of materials that could be sensitive to temperature and solvents when treated with traditional methods.

Some of the processing advantages include:

Liposomes
• Co-solvent Free
– No need to dissolve lipids or hydrophobic compounds in a co-solvent. All the materials can be included in the aqueous buffer, and then formulated.
• Low-Temperature Formulation
– Liposomes can be formed at 4 C, irrespective of the lipid phase transition temperature.
• No Cross Contamination
– Liposomes are produced in single-use, sealed glass vials.

Nanosuspensions
• Simple, fast, effective tops down milling
• 100% self-contained, non-contaminating
• 100% material recovery – no loss of critical early stage material
• Scalable from 100ul through liters
• Particle size typically below that achieved by bead milling

The FS220-M system complements the broader product offerings from early-stage benchtop to Pilot Scale Manufacturing equipment.