A new application note describing a method for automating measurement of size
and shape of micron scale beads is now available on the Malvern
Instruments website. Careful control of bead size and shape is critically
important in a wide range of applications including sensors, medical devices,
chromatography and material fabrication.
The presence of mis-shapen or fused beads may lead to problems with product
performance. Using Malvern’s Morphologi G3 particle characterization system,
automated measurements can be performed considerably more quickly than with
manual microscopy and are not subject to the same operator variability. The
application note, entitled; ‘Characterizing the Monodispersity of Beads
Using the Morphologi G3’, is free to download at: http://www.malvern.com/sphericalbeads
Monodisperse spherical beads will pack in a way that results in a fairly well-defined
network of pores which can be exploited in sensing applications. For example,
a medical sensing device can depend on agglomeration of a protein to give a
positive result. In this case, the agglomerated protein will not pass through
the channels. A negative result is obtained when there is no agglomeration and
no sample retention. The presence of fines in the packing material can block
these pores and render the device unreliable by causing retention of smaller
particles.
Malvern’s Morphologi G3 combines microscopy and image analysis to measure
the size, shape and intensity of particles from 0.5 to 10000 µm. It captures
and stores images of every particle examined. Powerful software means that with
just a few clicks of the mouse, data is transformed into useful information,
allowing users to make decisions quickly and with confidence.
The Morphologi G3 particle characterization system is ideally suited to determining
the quality and monodispersity of micron sized beads as well as identifying
non-spherical particles. By analyzing shape as well as size, the Morphologi
G3 adds a new dimension to the usefulness of particle characterization data.
The system is automated, intuitive to use and requires little sample preparation.
www.malvern.com/morphologi
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