Vacuum freeze-drying technology has a wide range of applications in the fields of biological engineering, pharmaceutical industry, food industry, materials science and deep processing of agricultural and sideline products.

Drug freeze-drying includes two parts: western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Western medicine freeze-drying has developed to a certain extent, and many larger pharmaceutical factories have freeze-drying equipment.

In terms of injections, freeze-drying technology is used more often, which improves the quality and shelf life of medicines and brings benefits to both doctors and patients. However, currently there are not many varieties of freeze-dried medicines, the product prices are high, and the drying process is not advanced.

In terms of traditional Chinese medicine, it is currently limited to lyophilization of a small number of Chinese medicinal materials such as ginseng, velvet antler, yam, and Cordyceps, and a large number of proprietary Chinese medicines have not been lyophilized.

Japan launched the "Chinese medicine western system" a few years ago, changed the method of brewing traditional Chinese medicine, solved the tradition that traditional Chinese medicine cannot be made into injections or tablets, and also solved the problem of traditional Chinese medicine that does not cure acute diseases. Product research has great potential to be tapped. In the field of biotechnology products, freeze-drying technology is mainly used in the production of serum, plasma, vaccines, enzymes, antibiotics, hormones and other drugs; biochemical inspection drugs, immunological and bacteriological inspection drugs; blood, bacteria, arteries, bones , Skin, cornea, nerve tissue and various organs for long-term preservation.
 

In-situ freeze dryer - Pharmaceutical freeze dryer
 

Vacuum freeze-drying technology has a wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical industry, which can significantly improve the quality and grade of products. Western medicine freeze-drying has achieved certain development in China, and many larger pharmaceutical factories have freeze-drying equipment. In Chinese medicine, vacuum freeze-drying technology is mainly limited to freeze-drying of a small number of Chinese medicinal materials such as ginseng, velvet antler, yam, cordyceps. In addition, in the field of biomedical products, freeze-drying technology is also widely used.

 

Of course, vacuum freeze-drying technology has the disadvantage of high cost. Since it requires vacuum and low temperature conditions, the lyophilizer must be equipped with a vacuum system and a low temperature system, so the investment and operating costs are relatively high. This can be seen in the current vacuum lyophilization, which is mainly applied to the more expensive medicinal materials. The application of this equipment by downstream SMEs must be subject to capital tolerance.

 

Freeze dryers also have important applications in the food industry. People use drying, drying, freezing, salting, etc. These methods have been used by humans for thousands of years. Scientists have discovered that drying, drying, salting and other methods have greatly damaged the nutrition of food, and These anti-corrosion methods are harmful to human health. The freeze-drying technology can quickly freeze at -40 ° C, and then evacuate the air in the freeze-drying chamber to a vacuum anaerobic state. This is because the ice water formed after the food is frozen is sublimated, and the food becomes a "dry" state. Compared with sun-drying, air-drying, and drying, freeze-drying technology completely retains the original active nutrition structure of the food, and does not need to add any chemical preservatives. The food can be stored at room temperature for 3-5 years, and freeze-dried food The weight is usually only 1/10 or less of the original fresh state.

● Many heat-sensitive substances do not denature or inactivate.

● When drying at low temperature, some volatile components in the substance are lost very little.

● During the lyophilization process, the growth of microorganisms and the role of enzymes cannot be performed, so the original properties can be maintained.

● Because it is dried in a frozen state, the volume is almost unchanged, the original structure is maintained, and no concentration occurs.

● Since the moisture in the material exists in the form of ice crystals after pre-freezing, the inorganic salt-soluble substances that were originally dissolved in water are evenly distributed among the materials. During sublimation, dissolved substances dissolved in water are precipitated, which avoids the phenomenon of surface hardening caused by the precipitation of inorganic salts carried on the surface due to the internal moisture migration of the material to the surface in the general drying method.

● After drying, the material is loose and porous, showing a sponge shape. After adding water, it dissolves quickly and completely, and the original properties are restored almost immediately.

● Since drying is performed under vacuum, there is very little oxygen, so some easily oxidizable substances are protected.

● Drying can remove more than 95% to 99% of moisture, so that the dried product can be stored for a long time without deterioration.

● Because the material is frozen and the temperature is very low, the temperature of the heat source for heating is not high. Normal temperature or low temperature heater can meet the requirements. If the freezing chamber and the drying chamber are separated, the drying chamber does not need to be insulated, and there will not be a lot of heat loss, so the use of thermal energy is very economical.