A freeze dryer processes a bulk material including a liquid, and produces a product including the freeze dried material borne on a substrate. The material is introduced in a freezing chamber as a droplet stream that impinges on the substrate. The liquid in the material is frozen after it contacts the substrate. The substrate bearing the material is transferred through a vacuum lock into a vacuum drying chamber where the frozen liquid sublimates under vacuum and applied heat.

A freeze vacuum drying apparatus includes: a spraying unit; a pipe unit; a heating unit; and a collection unit. The spraying unit sprays a raw material liquid into a vacuum chamber. The pipe unit has a non-linear shape, includes a first opening end and a second opening end, and traps frozen particles via the first opening end, the frozen particles being formed by self-freezing of liquid droplets formed by spraying the raw material liquid into the vacuum chamber. The heating unit heats the frozen particles in the pipe unit for sublimation drying, the frozen particles moving in the pipe unit from the first opening end toward the second opening end by kinetic energy produced during spraying. The collection unit collects dried particles that are formed by sublimation drying of the frozen particles in the pipe unit and released from the second opening end of the pipe unit.

A freeze vacuum drying apparatus includes: a spraying unit; a pipe unit; a heating unit; and a collection unit. The spraying unit sprays a raw material liquid into a vacuum chamber. The pipe unit has a non-linear shape, includes a first opening end and a second opening end, and traps frozen particles via the first opening end, the frozen particles being formed by self-freezing of liquid droplets formed by spraying the raw material liquid into the vacuum chamber. The heating unit heats the frozen particles in the pipe unit for sublimation drying, the frozen particles moving in the pipe unit from the first opening end toward the second opening end by kinetic energy produced during spraying. The collection unit collects dried particles that are formed by sublimation drying of the frozen particles in the pipe unit and released from the second opening end of the pipe unit.

A method of treatment of plasma with a physiologically compatible spray dry stable acidic substance (SDSAS) prior to or contemporaneously with spray drying of the plasma that results in greater recovery and greater long-term stabilization of the dried plasma proteins as compared to spray dried plasma that has not be subject to the formulation method of the present invention, as well as compositions related to plasma dried by the methods of the present invention.

The present invention provides, inter alia, for a liquid feeding device for the generation of droplets, in particular for the use in a process line for the production of freeze-dried particles, with a droplet ejection section for ejecting liquid droplets in an ejection direction, the droplet ejection section comprising at least one inlet port for receiving a liquid to be ejected, a liquid chamber for retaining the liquid, and a nozzle for ejecting the liquid from the liquid chamber to form droplets, wherein the liquid chamber is restricted by a membrane on one side thereof, the membrane being vibratable by an excitation unit, wherein the longitudinal axis of the liquid chamber is tilted relative to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle, and/or the liquid feeding device further comprises a deflection section for separating the droplets from each other by means of at least one gas jet, wherein the deflection section gas jet intersects perpendicular with an ejection path of the liquid ejected from the liquid chamber.

The present invention provides, inter alia, for a liquid feeding device for the generation of droplets, in particular for the use in a process line for the production of freeze-dried particles, with a droplet ejection section for ejecting liquid droplets in an ejection direction, the droplet ejection section comprising at least one inlet port for receiving a liquid to be ejected, a liquid chamber for retaining the liquid, and a nozzle for ejecting the liquid from the liquid chamber to form droplets, wherein the liquid chamber is restricted by a membrane on one side thereof, the membrane being vibratable by an excitation unit, wherein the longitudinal axis of the liquid chamber is tilted relative to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle, and/or the liquid feeding device further comprises a deflection section for separating the droplets from each other by means of at least one gas jet, wherein the deflection section gas jet intersects perpendicular with an ejection path of the liquid ejected from the liquid chamber.

A system and methods of isolating probiotics and adding probiotics into matrices are disclosed, comprising: (a) selecting and preparing a food source by a predetermined quality guideline; (b) obtaining probiotics from the food source using a multi-purpose apparatus operable to function as either a centrifugal machine, a food mixer, and a fermentator; (c) screen testing the probiotics for viability and performances; (d) if the probiotics meet predetermined requirements for viability and performance standards, then record the predetermined quality guideline of said food source and parametric settings of said multi-purposed apparatus into a database for said food source; and (e) otherwise, repeating steps (a) to (c) until the probiotics meet the predetermined requirements for viability and performance standards.

A freeze-dried product continuously manufactured by being dried while smoothly moving in a state of receiving a mechanical force in a freeze-drying apparatus 1. The freeze-drying apparatus 1 includes a freezing unit 2 for producing a frozen substance by spraying a raw material solution; and a drying unit 3 for drying the frozen substance. The drying unit 3 has a tubular shape and includes a tubular member 31 kept in a vacuum state, and a spiral wall or groove portion is formed on an inner wall of the tubular member 31 continuously in a longitudinal direction of the tubular member 31. A heat is transferred to the inner wall of the tubular member 31 and the spiral wall or groove portion. The tubular member 31 is configured to be rotated to transfer the freeze-dried product in the longitudinal direction of the tubular member 31 and sublimate or dry the freeze-dried product. A flow-start angle is less than 44 degrees or a repose angle is less than 55 degrees and larger than the flow-start angle, and a residual amount is 3 g or less with respect to 10 g of the raw material solution fed into freeze-drying apparatus when a length of the tubular member 31 is 30 cm in the longitudinal direction.

A system and methods of isolating probiotics and adding probiotics into matrices are disclosed, comprising: (a) selecting and preparing a food source by a predetermined quality guideline; (b) obtaining probiotics from the food source using a multi-purpose apparatus operable to function as either a centrifugal machine, a food mixer, and a fermentator; (c) screen testing the probiotics for viability and performances; (d) if the probiotics meet predetermined requirements for viability and performance standards, then record the predetermined quality guideline of said food source and parametric settings of said multi-purposed apparatus into a database for said food source; and (e) otherwise, repeating steps (a) to (c) until the probiotics meet the predetermined requirements for viability and performance standards.

A freeze-dried product continuously manufactured by being dried while smoothly moving in a state of receiving a mechanical force in a freeze-drying apparatus 1. The freeze-drying apparatus 1 includes a freezing unit 2 for producing a frozen substance by spraying a raw material solution; and a drying unit 3 for drying the frozen substance. The drying unit 3 has a tubular shape and includes a tubular member 31 kept in a vacuum state, and a spiral wall or groove portion is formed on an inner wall of the tubular member 31 continuously in a longitudinal direction of the tubular member 31. A heat is transferred to the inner wall of the tubular member 31 and the spiral wall or groove portion. The tubular member 31 is configured to be rotated to transfer the freeze-dried product in the longitudinal direction of the tubular member 31 and sublimate or dry the freeze-dried product. A flow-start angle is less than 44 degrees or a repose angle is less than 55 degrees and larger than the flow-start angle, and a residual amount is 3 g or less with respect to 10 g of the raw material solution fed into freeze-drying apparatus when a length of the tubular member 31 is 30 cm in the longitudinal direction.