DefinePK

Abstract

Micro encapsulation techniques have been developed for various applications such as bioengineering, pharmaceutical, drug delivery, cosmetics and food technology. Some of these techniques involve with complex process and harsh chemicals and may not be suitable for the micro encapsulation of cells. Micro-extrusion is a simple yet efficient technique to produce large number of microcapsules. However the simple extrusion only enables the production of microcapsules in a few millimeters that limits the transportation of oxygen and nutrients. In this paper, a micro-extruder with an inclusion of vibration mode was developed to reduce the size of the microcapsules. Smaller size of microcapsule provides better transportation of nutrients and oxygen. The effects of adding a vibrator motor to the customized micro-extruder were studied and characterized. The experimental results showed that the size of the microcapsules can be controlled and reduced to approximately 800-1000 µm using vibrational frequency ranging from 10 to 60 Hz at flow rate of 0.6 ml/min. A lower flow rate of the micro-extruder and a high frequency of vibration can produce smaller size of microcapsules. The technique developed is potentially easy and safe for micro encapsulation of cells.