Thies Technology, Inc.

Andrew Stanisz

Curt Thies

An apparatus and method for the formation of droplets of uniform size on a laboratory scale are described. A syringe having a plunger and a needle with an orifice at the tip corresponding to a 12-30 gauge needle is inserted into a block member having a cavity such that the needle of the syringe extends through an opening in the bottom of the block member. The block member has a gas inlet into a side of the cavity for flowing of gas pass the orifice of the needle. The block member is mounted in a support housing such that the syringe is in a vertical position. To form droplets, pressure is applied to the plunger, preferably by a piston under gas pressure, to force liquid from the needle tip orifice to form droplets and flowing gas pass the tip to detach droplets of a desired size. In a preferred embodiment, the liquid is a suspension containing living cells and alginate, and droplets formed are solidified in a solidifying medium such as a calcium chloride solution to obtain microcapsules containing living cells.

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Dundas, Canada

Andrew Stanisz