Malvern showcases laser diffraction technology

Malvern Instruments last week (October 2nd) showcased a laser diffraction imaging tool that could be used in quality control to measure particle size in a suspension.

The company demonstrated the new accessory range for its Mastersizer 3000 analyser at POWTECH in Germany and claimed there are a number of pharmaceutical applications for the device, including research and development and quality control.

Deborah Huck-Jones, product manager of analytical imaging systems at Malvern, said drugmakers can use the Hydro Sight product to cross-validate laser diffraction data in order to monitor a dispersion.

"This tool will be used by the people who are developing and validating their methods to show that it is a robust method," she explained.

Malvern has recently acquired the Archimedes particle characterisation system from Affinity Biosensors, having worked with the California-based company for two years.

The system is used to detect and count particles through the Resonant Mass Measurement technology and enables the accurate measurement of protein aggregation in biotherapeutic formulations, which Malvern claims will speed up the development of new treatments, as well as improving safety and efficacy.