Hindle Lab

Updates from the Aerosol Research Group at VCU

Facilities

Dr. Hindle’s aerosol and formulation laboratories (Smith, 461, 415, 421 – each 600 square feet) include three main equipment areas for (i) aerosol generation and characterization, (ii) solid state characterization and (iii) quantitative drug analysis.

  • Aerosol generation equipment includes the Buchi Nano Spray Dryer, the Capillary Aerosol Generator, the Small Particle Aerosol Generator, together with a number of commercial nebulizers and inhalers.
  • The laboratories are equipped with a number of cascade impactors, including the 10 and 8 stage MOUDI Cascade Impactor, the Andersen Cascade Impactor, the Electrical Low Pressure Impactor and the Next Generation Impactor, all of which are standard methodologies for aerodynamic particle sizing of aerosols.
  • The laboratory is equipped with a series of mouth-throat (MT) and tracheobronchial (TB) models that have been designed and validated for in vitro aerosol testing.
  • Aerosol particle concentration can be measured using the condensation particle counter.
  • The SprayView system is capable of oral and nasal spray pattern characterisation
  • Two breath simulators are available for use, including, the ASL 5000 (IngMar Medical), which is a fully automated adult and neonatal breath simulator, together with an in-house inhalation simulator with a computer control system, which is capable of simulating various inhalation flow rates and wave patterns.
  • For controlled temperature and humidity studies, the labs are equipped with two controlled temperature and humidity cabinets.
  • Physical characterization equipment includes the Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Thermal Gravimetric Analyzer (TGA), both operated by the Pyris 7 Software (Perkin Elmer). We have recently added a new DVS moisture sorption balance and helium pycnometer to our equipment
  • Other characterization equipment available includes a Karl Fisher apparatus and optical microscope.
  • Scanning electron microscopy is performed using the core university facilities provided by the Dept. of Neurobiology & Anatomy Microscopy Facility, which is supported, in part, with funding from NIH-NINDS Center core grant (5P30NS047463).
  • Other equipment include rotameters, mass flow meters, compressed air source, vacuum pumps, humidifiers (Vapotherm 2000i), water baths, dry baths, oven, refrigerators, computers, lab furniture, and various durables and consumables.
  • Quantitative drug analysis is performed in labs equipped with three Waters 2695 HPLC systems with auto-samplers, column heaters and UV PDA detectors, together with a single quadrapole ZMD mass spectrometer and triple quadrapole Quattro Micro mass spectrometer.