Compound management
Compound Management and high throughput screening can both be impacted by incomplete compound dissolution as well as precipitation, the latter occurring at multiple freeze thawing or after addition of aqueous buffer.
To date, mixing and dissolution has been performed using vortexing, sonication or centrifugation. However, all these methods have drawbacks.
Acoustic mixing/thawing using the Covaris technology is now the gold standard in primary and secondary compound dissolution throughout pharma.
Acoustic mixing applications in compound management
Acoustic thawing tubes, vials & plates
Videos of acoustic mix and thawing
Volume & particle detection
Novel Compound management applications
Presentations
C2000 automated Covaris platform
Features & Benefits of acoustic dissolution
| Feature | Benefit | Technique |
||
AFA |
Vortex |
Sonication |
||
| Isothermal | No compound degradation | Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Non-contact | Decapping not necessary |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Controllable Mechanical Energy | Fast & highly efficient |
Yes |
No |
No/Yes |
| Automation friendly | Easy integration | Yes |
No |
No |
| No consumable | Reduced cost | Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Capable of thawing individual wells (10s for a 2D tube) | Reduced freeze thaw cycle for plates | Yes |
No |
No |
| Plate / tube independent | Flexible | Yes |
No |
No |
| Interrogation | Volumes and solute states can be determined | Yes |
No |
No |
Acoustic Volume interrogation
The C - Series Covaris instruments now offer the option of acoustic interrogation for either or both volume and particle detection. This offers a number of previously unattainable benefits.
A percentage of compounds require minimal mixing, by interrogating the sample prior and during acoustic mixing it is possible to optimise mixing times over varied compound solubility range ultimately increasing speed and throughput. The knowledge of solution state also allows an end to visual inspection.
A presentation is available below showing data and applications.
2D tube volume interrogation
graph showing liquid level decection resolution
Novel Compound management applications:
We are currently investigating the use of AFA in the area below where there may be significant benefits derived.
- Reconstitution of dried down compounds in screening plates, facilitating dry plate storage (from a Labcyte dispensor for example)
Videos
A number of examples of compound dissolution/ resolution are included
as video downloads here.
Most tube / plate types have
been shown achieve a good mix/dissolution:
C2000 tube automation "transfer rack loading"
C2000 fully automated system developed by ATG for Compound Management / High throughput chemistry
Capable of ~400 vial dissolutions 8 racks x 96 2D tube, inc gilson & green house tubes
thaw / mix. data sheet 
C2000
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Primary dissolution of a gum in real time (200 KB) | 500mg of sucrose dried into a 4ml at 70°C for a week ! | Controlled acoustic mixing of a 2D tube in real time (38 KB) | Real time 2D thawing 1ml dmso |