Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a continuous freeze-drying process that suspends vials on wires and uses a digital twin to help optimize the operation. The method, known as lyophilization, is designed to improve drying uniformity and produce more consistent products while retaining the advantages of continuous manufacturing, including higher production capacity and improved quality control.
In conventional freeze-drying, vials sit on shelves and may be moved during processing. The researchers say that moving shelf-supported vials can disturb their contents and create friction that generates small particles. In the new approach, magnets move vials suspended from wires, allowing them to pass smoothly through the process and encounter more consistent drying conditions.
The team has also created a digital twin of the continuous lyophilizer. It is intended to help optimize the process, and the researchers plan to use it to develop predictive control and optimization strategies. They may also explore microwave lyophilization.