A Novel Laboratory-Scale Spray Dryer to Produce Nanoparticles

This paper reviews the advances in nanoparticle spray drying performed in a laboratory environment and with the Nano Spray Dryer B-90, which was introduced by BUCHI Labortechnik AG in 2009. Special regard will be paid to relevant published works. The technological novelty of the patented Nano Spray Dryer B-90 lies in the gentle laminar drying flow, the vibrating mesh spray technology, and the highly efficient electrostatic particle collector. Recent studies prove the successful use of this spray dryer for a variety of drug delivery applications, such as poorly soluble drugs (e.g., griseofulvin, furosemide), enzymes (e.g., galactosidase), proteins (bovine serum albumin, whey protein), amino acids (e.g., leucine), polysaccharides (e.g., trehalose, lactose), salts, encapsulation of nano-emulsions in polymeric wall materials, as well as materials science applications (e.g., battery-grade lithium carbonate). The Nano Spray Dryer B-90 makes it possible to produce spray-dried particles in the submicron scale and to create tiny particles of down to only 350–500 nm. In contrast to traditional laboratory-scale spray dryers, it can achieve uniquely high yields of up to 94% for powder amounts down to the milligram scale (e.g., 3.0–500 mg).