January 16, 2009: Microfluidics, a subsidiary of Microfluidics International Corp., has filed for a patent on its Microfluidics Reaction Technology (MRT), which will enable companies and research organizations to develop and manufacture smaller-sized nanoparticles than previously possible and to do so more efficiently than with other methods, according to a company news release.

The technology was presented at the Nano Science and Technology Institute (NSTI) Nanotech 2007 and 2008 conferences and won a Nano 50 award in 2007 as one of the most innovative ideas that will revolutionize nanotechnology in the near-term and beyond.

The patent covers processors, processes, and applications that are used to produce nanoparticles at high volume, high purity, and low cost. MRT can also be used for synthesis of fine chemicals through single or multiphase chemical reactions or physical processes such as crystallization. Another key use is process intensification, or combining chemical processes in ways that increase manufacturing efficiency, reduce energy use, and result in purer products.

MRT has a wide range of applications, including production of pharmaceutical nanosuspensions and of nanomaterials that are used for fuel cells and photovoltaics. It is particularly applicable for those pharmaceutical applications where the trend is to go to very small particles that have precise polymorph control. Microfluidics has demonstrated MRT by creating nanosuspensions of a variety of injectable or inhalable drugs, including cancer therapies, antibiotics, antihistamines, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, among others.