title: Spatial Variation of Pressure in the Lyophilization Product Chamber Part 2: Experimental Measurements and Implications for Scale-up and Batch Uniformity.
abstract: Product temperature during the primary drying step of freeze-drying is controlled by a set point chamber pressure and shelf temperature. However, recent computational modeling suggests a possible variation in local chamber pressure. The current work presents an experimental verification of the local chamber pressure gradients in a lab-scale freeze-dryer. Pressure differences between the center and the edges of a lab-scale freeze-dryer shelf were measured as a function of sublimation flux and clearance between the sublimation front and the shelf above. A modest 3-mTorr difference in pressure was observed as the sublimation flux was doubled from 0.5 to 1.0 kg·h-1·m-2at a clearance of 2.6 cm. Further, at a constant sublimation flux of 1.0 kg·h-1·m-2, an 8-fold increase in the pressure drop was observed across the shelf as the clearance was decreased from 4 to 1.6 cm. Scale-up of the pressure variation from lab- to a manufacturing-scale freeze-dryer predicted an increased uniformity in drying rates across the batch for two frequently used pharmaceutical excipients (mannitol and sucrose at 5% w/w). However, at an atypical condition of shelf temperature of +10°C and chamber pressure of 50 mTorr, the product temperature in the center vials was calculated to be a degree higher than the edge vial for a low resistance product, thus reversing the typical edge and center vial behavior. Thus, the effect of local pressure variation is more significant at the manufacturing-scale than at a lab-scale and accounting for the contribution of variations in the local chamber pressures can improve success in scale-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Unit 3092, 69 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269-3092, USA.
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sane
authors.affiliation: School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Nikhil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.affiliation: School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Arnab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ganguly
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Unit 3092, 69 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269-3092, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pikal
authors.affiliation: School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alexeenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Unit 3092, 69 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269-3092, USA. robin.bogner@uconn.edu.
authors.forename: Robin H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Bogner
mesh_terms: D005079:Excipients / Q000737:chemistry; D005612:Freeze Drying / Q000379:methods; D008353:Mannitol / Q000737:chemistry; D011312:Pressure; D013395:Sucrose / Q000737:chemistry; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005079:Excipients; D014867:Water; D008353:Mannitol; D013395:Sucrose
keywords: chamber pressure; design space; freeze-drying; heat transfer; primary drying