Romaco Innojet has just developed the first mobile processing machine for pilot scale applications. The VENTILUS® Pilot represents an all-in-one solution both for laboratories and for manufacturers of small batch sizes. The system design with only one spray nozzle simplifies scale-up processes.
Romaco Innojet has just launched the first mobile processing machine in the market for pilot scale applications. Its name: VENTILUS® Pilot. All components of this ergonomic all-in-one solution are integrated in a cGMP compliant system concept, which includes the air technology with all filter, heating and cooling elements in addition to the process container and the control system. The VENTILUS® Pilot can thus be connected and put into operation quickly and easily in any environment. Mounted on wheels, the pilot scale system is compact enough to fit through any standard door frame. It can be freely positioned in the cleanroom or integrated into the wall systems according to each customer’s requirements.
Versatile applications
The standard version of the VENTILUS® Pilot can be used for granulating, drying and coating particle sizes from 10 μm to 2 mm. This versatile all-in-one system is therefore equally suited for laboratory applications or for manufacturers of small batches with a volume of between four and 25 litres. Hot melt formulations can likewise be achieved simply and fast. The Innojet IHD 5 mobile hot melt system must merely be installed upstream for this purpose. The cGMP compliant technology is a particularly attractive option for pharmaceutical and food producers seeking to improve their formulations and optimise their processes, for example by using a hot melt coating to mask the taste. In order to be ready for any eventuality, the VENTILUS® Pilot ships with the Innojet control software for production machines, including formulation control as well as process data recording and analysis.
Simple scale-up
All machines in the VENTILUS® product family facilitate scale-up. This is due to the cylindrical container geometry with the central, rotating ROTOJET® bottom spray nozzle. The process air is controlled by the ORBITER® booster, which consists of overlapping circular plates. This results in homogeneous flow conditions inside the container, enabling extremely gentle intermixing of the batch. The air flow bed technology ensures accurate control of the product movement and similarly precise application of the spray liquid. The temperature and droplet size of the liquid spray produced by the nozzle can be very finely adjusted. Yet the range of possible applications is even wider: the technology is also suited for granulation using the conventional top spray method.
Innojet’s contribution towards more sustainability
Romaco Innojet’s VENTILUS® technology contributes in a number of ways towards more sustainable pharmaceutical production. For one thing, the compact design of the VENTILUS® Pilot saves a lot of space in cleanroom areas and, by implication, reduces CO2 emissions during operation. For another, the air flow bed technology developed by Dr. h. c. Herbert Hüttlin requires less energy than traditional fluidised bed processes. The processing time for hot melt applications is up to 85 percent
shorter as a result. The SEPAJET® filter’s unique design moreover restricts product loss to a minimum by constantly returning the particles to the process. Put succinctly, the Romaco Innojet technology not only has clear economic benefits; it is also comparatively sustainable in use.
