Use of a micro-freeze dryer for the development of a freeze-drying process.

This paper deals with the use of a small-scale freeze-dryer where few vials are loaded, e.g. 19, ...each 10 mL, or 7, each 20 mL. The system has a metallic ring surrounding the batch of vials, in contact with the external ones: its temperature is manipulated independently from that of the shelf. Experiments were carried out using two sucrose solutions (5% and 10% w/w), aiming to verify the homogeneity of the batch, focusing on both product temperature and sublimation flux.