Particle size is a critical parameter for inhaled drugs, with a defining influence on deposition behavior in the lung. Particle characterization specialists Joe Wolfgang and Julie Chen from Malvern Instruments will be on hand to discuss these issues at the Respiratory Drug Delivery conference (RDD 2012) in Phoenix, Arizona, May 13-17, where Malvern will showcase the recently launched  Mastersizer 3000 particle size analyzer.  

The Mastersizer 3000 is a new, small footprint  laser diffraction particle size analyzer. It has the widest measurement range on the market so laboratories can use a single instrument to measure wet or dry dispersions from 10 nm to 3.5 mm without needing to change the optical setup. Major technological advances in the new dry powder disperser allow this environmentally friendly, convenient dispersion method to be used for an extended range of materials, including fragile particles. Simple, intuitive software guides both expert and novice users, with in-built intelligence and streamlined workflows making good particle size measurements available to all.

Laser diffraction particle size analyzers are proven and widely used within the pharmaceutical industry. Increasingly, systems such as Malvern's Morphologi G3, which measures the size and shape of particles using the technique of static image analysis, are used in conjunction with laser diffraction to gain a deeper understanding of product or process behavior. Having a more comprehensive representation of particle size and shape can be important, especially when trying to influence the way in which powders flow and disperse.

Where additional chemical identification is needed - to distinguish actives within a formulation for example - the Morphologi G3-ID integrates automated size and shape analysis of particles from 0.5 micron to 1 mm with chemical identification provided by Raman spectroscopy. 

For information about the conference please click here or to find out more about Malvern's Mastersizer 3000 visit www.malvern.com/MS3000