Capsugel Launches Xcelolab Powder Dispenser

Capsugel has announced that the bench-top Xcelolab powder dispenser is now available, offering scientists a rapid and reproducible solution for precise weighing tasks. The Xcelolab dispenser, the latest addition to Capsugel's Xcelodose precision powder micro-dosing range, has been created in response to demand from existing Xcelodose system customers, according to the company. To avoid losing clinical trial manufacturing time, resource and money, pharmaceutical company development teams can now perform method development, powder dispense head selection and powder characterisation studies in the laboratory environment using the Xcelolab dispenser.

The data produced and methods developed can then be directly transferred to their Xcelodose system so they can continue manufacture of clinical trial materials without interruption or unnecessary downtime. The Xcelolab dispenser uses Capsugel's powder dispensing technology, which builds 'micro-bridges', making it ideal for scientists who repeatedly weigh small amounts of any type of powder by hand or need to dispense amounts too small to be accurately dosed by conventional techniques. Using the 'micro-bridge' technology it is possible to dispense any type of powder, whether cohesive, micronised, free-flowing, or inhalation powder.

The Xcelolab dispenser is said to offer high flexibility, allowing users to dispense powder weights as low as 100ug up to 230g precisely with a typical RSD of ~2 per cent. A range of interchangeable balances makes it easy to dispense into a variety of receptacles including capsules, vials, beakers and flasks. Touch-screen operation, featuring a colour-coded progress bar, means scientists can run fully automated dispense cycles as soon as the system is installed, as well as program and store multiple settings for different samples.

The Xcelolab dispenser has many dispense options, from a manual one-button dispense right through to full method development, making applications such as powder characterisation, sample preparation or stability testing quick and easy to set up.