Avestin Emulsiflex

Emulsions/ Cell rupture: Pharmaceutical emulsions and cells such as yeast can be processed to a reduced size and narrow distribution.

What type of homogeniser is the EmulsiFlex-B15 and how does it disrupt cells?

The EmulsiFlex-B15 is an air-powered, French Press-style high-pressure homogeniser. It forces the sample through a narrow homogenising nozzle at up to 45,000 psi (310 MPa), creating intense shear stress that rapidly disrupts cells. The dynamic, pneumatically controlled valve maintains constant pressure throughout processing, and most cells are ruptured in a single pass — minimising over-processing and protein damage.

What are the operating pressure range and sample capacity of the EmulsiFlex-B15?

The EmulsiFlex-B15 operates at homogenising pressures adjustable between 500 and 45,000 psi (up to 310 MPa) — the highest maximum pressure in the EmulsiFlex lab-scale range. It can process samples as small as 3 mL and has a total sample capacity of 15 mL, making it suited to precious or limited-volume samples.

Does the EmulsiFlex-B15 require electrical power to operate?

No. The B15 is entirely air-driven, using a pneumatic pump that requires only a supply of compressed or bottled air — no electrical supply is needed. This makes it suitable for use in locations where electrical power access is restricted, such as certain clean room or GMP manufacturing environments.

Is the EmulsiFlex-B15 suitable for GMP or clean room use?

Yes. The B15 is designed with GMP and clean room compatibility in mind. There are no O-rings or gaskets in the entire product path, eliminating a major source of cross-contamination. All wetted parts are autoclavable, and the unit is steam-in-place (SIP) sterilisable, meeting sterility requirements for pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing environments.

How does the B15 avoid protein damage during cell lysis?

Because most cells are ruptured in a single pass at the correct operating pressure, samples spend minimal time under mechanical stress. The constant-pressure dynamic valve prevents the pressure surges and repeated cycling that can denature proteins, making the B15 particularly appropriate for recovering intact, active proteins from bacterial or yeast cell lysates.

Is the EmulsiFlex-B15 limited to cell disruption, or can it process emulsions and liposomes?

The B15 can process both cell suspensions and liquid formulations including pharmaceutical emulsions and liposomes. High-pressure homogenisation through its nozzle system reduces droplet and particle sizes from the micron to nanometre range, applicable to liposome preparation, emulsion formulation, and dispersion processing in addition to cell lysis — all within its 3-15 mL sample volume range.

Can I have a demonstration or free trial of the EmulsiFlex-B15?

Yes, if a system is available. Contact us for a booking. We can arrange a personalised demo and test your samples within our lab facility in Sydney. Onsite free trials are also available. Contact us or complete a request a demo form to get started.

• Dispersions: EmulsiFlex homogenisers are involved in the processing of dispersions such as drug dispersions, herb extracts, industrial coatings and pigments
• Liposomes: AVESTIN’s high pressure homogenisers are used all over the world for liposome research and production.
• Emulsions/ Cell rupture: Pharmaceutical emulsions and cells such as yeast can be processed to a reduced size and narrow distribution.

How does the EmulsiFlex C3 differ from the C5 in terms of its drive system?

Unlike the C5, which is air-driven, the EmulsiFlex C3 uses an electric motor-driven pump. It requires 220V at 50Hz power supply plus bottled air. The electric motor drive allows the C3 to maintain a consistent, constant throughput of up to 3 litres per hour, with flow rate independent of the set homogenising pressure — a key difference from pneumatically driven systems.

What are the operating pressure range and minimum sample volume for the EmulsiFlex C3?

The EmulsiFlex C3 operates at homogenising pressures up to 30,000 psi (207 MPa) and can process samples as small as 10 mL, with a throughput capacity of up to 3 litres per hour. The flow rate remains constant regardless of the set pressure, which is important for reproducible results across different processing conditions.

What role does the dynamic homogenising valve play in achieving uniform particle sizes with the C3?

The EmulsiFlex C3 uses a dynamic homogenising valve that is pneumatically controlled to maintain a constant, preset homogenising pressure throughout each sample pass. This consistent pressure delivery prevents variation in shear force between passes, which is the primary mechanism for producing liposomes and micro-emulsions with a narrow, uniform particle size distribution — important for pharmaceutical and research reproducibility.

How is temperature controlled during processing with the EmulsiFlex C3?

The EmulsiFlex C3 does not include a built-in temperature system, but optional heat exchangers are available. These can be used to cool or maintain sample temperature during processing, which is critical for heat-sensitive formulations such as protein-containing emulsions, liposomes, or cell lysates where elevated temperatures can cause degradation or denaturation.

Can the EmulsiFlex C3 serve as a development tool for scale-up to larger production?

The EmulsiFlex C3’s homogenising valve can be exchanged for a high-pressure extruder attachment, enabling membrane extrusion for liposome size control. This dual functionality means a single C3 instrument can cover both bulk homogenisation and precision liposome preparation without requiring a separate extruder.

How effective is the EmulsiFlex C3 at disrupting bacterial and yeast cells?

The C3 achieves highly effective cell disruption in a single pass at appropriate pressures (typically 16,000-28,000 psi for bacteria and yeast). Testing with Schizosaccharomyces pombe at 28,000 psi (193 MPa) shows only cell fragments remaining after one pass, achieving near-complete lysis. Single-pass processing limits protein exposure to mechanical stress, preserving the activity of released enzymes and recombinant proteins.

Can the EmulsiFlex C3 also be used for liposome extrusion?

The EmulsiFlex C3’s homogenising valve can be exchanged for a high-pressure extruder attachment, enabling membrane extrusion for liposome size control — typically producing liposomes in the 90-114 nm range. This dual functionality means a single C3 instrument can cover both bulk homogenisation and precision liposome preparation without requiring a separate extruder.

Can I have a demonstration or free trial of the EmulsiFlex C3?

Yes, if a system is available. Contact us for a booking. We can arrange a personalised demo and test your samples within our lab facility in Sydney. Onsite free trials are also available. Contact us or complete a request a demo form to get started.

• Dispersions: EmulsiFlex homogenisers are involved in the processing of dispersions such as drug dispersions, herb extracts, industrial coatings and pigments
• Liposomes: AVESTIN’s high pressure homogenisers are used all over the world for liposome research and production.
• Emulsions/ Cell rupture: Pharmaceutical emulsions and cells such as yeast can be processed to a reduced size and narrow distribution.

What type of drive system does the EmulsiFlex-C5 use and what scale is it designed for?

The EmulsiFlex-C5 is an air-driven, lab-scale high-pressure homogeniser powered entirely by compressed or bottled air — for most applications including emulsions, liposomes, and E. coli rupture, an air supply of 100 psi is sufficient. Its throughput of 1 to 5 litres per hour places it in the research and early-development scale category.

What are the maximum operating pressure and throughput specifications for the EmulsiFlex-C5?

The EmulsiFlex-C5 reaches a maximum homogenising pressure of 30,000 psi (207 MPa) with a processing throughput of 1 to 5 litres per hour and a minimum sample volume of 7 mL. The dynamic, pneumatically controlled homogenising valve maintains constant pressure throughout each run, producing uniform particle and droplet size distributions.

How does the EmulsiFlex-C5 reduce particle and droplet sizes?

The C5 forces fluid through a narrow homogenising nozzle at pressures up to 30,000 psi. This generates intense shear stress that breaks down particles and droplets from the micron range down to nanometre sizes. The dynamic valve design ensures that samples are processed at a constant set pressure on every pass, producing narrow, uniform size distributions in the final product.

How is temperature controlled during processing with the EmulsiFlex-C5?

The EmulsiFlex-C5 does not have built-in temperature control, but its compact design allows it to be fully immersed in a water bath for temperature regulation during processing. An optional heat exchanger is also available. This is particularly relevant for heat-sensitive biologics and liposome formulations where maintaining a low processing temperature is critical.

Can the EmulsiFlex-C5 be converted to a liposome extruder?

Yes. The EmulsiFlex-C5 features an exchangeable valve system that allows the homogenising valve to be replaced with a high-pressure extruder attachment. This enables membrane extrusion for producing liposomes with tightly controlled, uniform sizes without requiring a separate dedicated extruder instrument.

What are the primary research and industrial applications for the EmulsiFlex-C5?

The C5 is used for liposome research and production, pharmaceutical emulsion formulation, drug dispersion preparation, herb extract processing, industrial coatings and pigments, and cell disruption of E. coli and yeast. Major pharmaceutical organisations including Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, Merck, Novartis, and Roche, as well as research institutions such as the Salk Institute and Max Planck Institute, use Avestin EmulsiFlex technology in their processes.

What design features reduce cross-contamination risk in the EmulsiFlex-C5?

The EmulsiFlex-C5 has no O-rings or gaskets anywhere in the product path. This eliminates the primary source of cross-contamination in high-pressure homogenisers and simplifies cleaning between sample runs. The wetted parts are also autoclavable, and the unit is steam-in-place (SIP) sterilisable for sterile processing requirements.

How does the EmulsiFlex-C3 differ from the C5 in terms of its drive system?

Unlike the C5, which is air-driven, the EmulsiFlex-C3 uses an electric motor-driven pump. It requires 220V at 50Hz power supply plus bottled air. The electric motor drive allows the C3 to maintain a consistent, constant throughput of up to 3 litres per hour, with flow rate independent of the set homogenising pressure — a key difference from pneumatically driven systems.

Can I have a demonstration or free trial of the EmulsiFlex-C5?

Yes, if a system is available. Contact us for a booking. We can arrange a personalised demo and test your samples within our lab facility in Sydney. Onsite free trials are also available. Contact us or complete a request a demo form to get started.