In drug development many applications are found for lipid-based nanoparticles (LbNPs) as successful transporters for poorly water-soluble drugs and oligonucleotides in gene therapy.

At Physical Electronics, the innovation never stops. And as the sole supplier of PHI products in Canada, SRC can help you leverage PHI innovation to achieve your goals.

For today’s advanced materials

The PHI VersaProbe 4 is a highly versatile, multi-technique instrument with PHI’s patented, monochromatic, micro-focused, scanning X-ray source.  The instrument offers true SEM-like ease of operation with superior micro-area spectroscopy and excellent large-area capabilities. The fully integrated multi-technique platform of the PHI VersaProbe 4 offers an array of optional excitation sources, sputter ion sources, and sample treatment and transfer capabilities.  These features are essential in studying today’s advanced materials and supporting your material characterization.

The new PHI VersaProbe 4 has improved spectroscopic performance, new large area imaging and mapping capabilities, and environmentally friendly modern configuration with efficient power consumption, faster pump-down and ergonomic design.

The PHI VersaProbe 4 offers:

• Intuitive sample navigation and confident analysis area identification
• Optimized depth profiling
• Superior micro-area analysis
• Suite of specialized solutions for in-situ characterization of advanced materials

PHI—trusted by researchers the world over

Publishing recent discoveries in science and technology in peer-reviewed literature is a critical function of members of the research community. In 2021 over 4500 scholar publications, including peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, were published using PHI XPS instruments. On top of this there were more than 60 papers published in the high-impact journals (Nature and Science group). The new PHI VersaProbe 4 will reinforce the trust that researchers have in PHI instruments.

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To learn more about the new PHI VersaProbe 4 or to request a quote, contact us at SRC. We’d be delighted to put PHI innovation to work for you.

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a transformative/disruptive approach to industrial production in a broad range of fields that cost-effectively enables the creation of lighter, stronger, and more geometrically complex parts and systems. It is another technological advance made possible by the digitization of processes. AM uses data computer-aided-design (CAD) software or 3D object scanners to direct hardware to deposit material, layer upon layer, in precise geometric shapes. As its name implies, AM adds material to create an object. By contrast, when you create an object by traditional analog methods, it is often necessary to remove material through milling, machining, carving, shaping or other means.

The ability to design and print virtually any object shape using a diverse array of materials, such as metals, polymers, bioinks—and ceramics—has given rise to the use of AM in biomedicine in both research and clinical settings. The world of 3D ceramic printing has come a long way since the 1980s, when it was considered suitable only for the production of functional or aesthetic prototypes, and a more appropriate term for it at the time was “rapid prototyping.” This article reviews the additive manufacturing of ceramics in biomedicine, as well as the technology and products of a leading SRC supplier, 3DCeram.

The additive manufacturing of ceramics for biomedical applications allows for the creation of bone substitutes, custom implants and surgical tools. The exceptional biocompatibility, extremely regular porous structure, capacity for the formation of complex geometrical shapes and mechanical strength are the main qualities of these 3D bioceramics. 3Dbioceramics can also be produced cost-effectively and relatively quickly and, when incorporated into the human body, provide more safety and comfort for the patient and require less follow-up after surgery. Given these many attributes, the future of additive manufacturing of ceramics for biomedical applications is extremely bright and the market is expected to grow by leaps and bounds as healthcare systems seek to control spiralling patient care costs, and applications not previously considered advisable or possible continue to emerge.

The medical sector has always been interested in cutting-edge technologies, which is why 3DCeram began working with biomedical players in 2005. In subsequent years 3DCeram has focused on developing a mastery of the 3D printing ceramics process, 3D printers, ceramic materials and services encompassing maintenance and training. Today, the company is the undisputed global leader in the additive manufacturing of ceramics for biomedical applications.

3D Ceram leverages stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technology to manufacture custom-made or small series bone substitutes and cranial or jawbone implants. The technology can be used to produce ceramic components layer by layer using a laser that polymerizes a paste composed of photosensitive resin and ceramic. The parts are then subjected to a heat treatment (debinding followed by sintering) that eliminates the resin and densifies the ceramic.

Custom-made HAP implant for the repair of large and complex craniofacial bone defects

With over a decade of medical 3D printing experience under its belt, 3DCeram produces a range of ceramic 3D printers and materials that are suitable for biomedical applications, including the accessible C100 EASY FAB system and the production-grade C3600 ULTIMATE. The company offers a number of materials that have been specifically formulated for biocompatibility and osteointegration, such as HAP (Hyd roxyapatite), TCP (Tricalcium Phosphate) and ATZ (Alumina Toughened Zirconia). 3DCeram’s products are suitable for many types of biomedical applications, from cranial and jawbone implants to dental devices.

Ceramaker 3600 ULTIMATE

In the biomedical sector, however, the ability to 3D print highly advanced or customized devices is not quite enough: all medical parts and products must undergo and meet stringent requirements. When it comes to the adoption of ceramic 3D printing in the medical sphere, certifications have not been a deal breaker, but they have created a bottleneck. CDCeram has pursued streamlining of the certification process for its biomedical customers through a new partnership with Gregory Nolens.

With a PhD in Biomedical Sciences and expertise in additive manufacturing and medical regulations, Gregory Nolens is uniquely equipped to help biomedical companies and players to not only implement ceramic 3D printing for medical device development and production, but to obtain the necessary certifications.

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SRC is proud to represent 3DCeram in Canada and make available to our Canadian customers in the biomedical field the full range of 3DCeram products. Click here to contact SRC to learn more.

Biopharmaceuticals are large and complex molecular drugs that are mainly obtained from proteins and nucleic acids of living organisms, such as microorganisms and animal cells, also known as transgenic organisms. These drugs are obtained using biotechnology and have high-therapeutic value. Biopharmaceuticals are also known as biologics and biotech drugs and are usually administered by intravenous, subcutaneous, or intramuscular injections and are more efficient than the conventional small molecule drugs.

Biopharmaceuticals are an alternative to previously less effective and sometimes unsafe treatments and offer several benefits. Biopharmaceutical benefits include their highly effective and potent action, reduced side effects, capacity to be tailored according to the specific medical requirements of patients and potential to actually cure diseases at the root level. Biopharmaceuticals have reduced the number of deaths due to cancer and HIV/AIDS in the past decade and have changed the treatment of several chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Some of the biopharmaceuticals include monoclonal antibodies, erythropoietin, growth hormones, recombinant proteins, recombinant human insulin, purified proteins, interferon, and vaccines. Recombinant human insulin was amongst the first substances to be approved for therapeutic purposes. Currently, there are nearly 300 biopharmaceutical products that have been approved and are available in the market.

Sphere Fluidics is a SRC supplier focused on developing technology that enables leading-edge research and accelerates biopharmaceutical discovery. They do this by providing novel single cell analysis systems for the rapid screening and characterisation of single cells. Their patented picodroplet technology is specifically designed to increase the likelihood of finding that rare molecule or cell that can lead to a life-changing medicine. 

Sphere Fluidics has made a fast-track antibody discovery: a high-throughput method for identifying and isolating rare cells secreting antigen-specific antibodies. Antibody-derived biologics have become a major class of modern medicine, particularly in the fight against cancer and autoimmune diseases. Highly efficacious immunoglobulin-based drugs have been developed naturally via the antibody-producing B cells of the mammalian immune system, although finding rare cells with the right characteristics has always been challenging.

The Cyto-Mine® Single Cell Analysis System is Sphere Fluidics’ flagship product—the first integrated, benchtop system to automatically analyse, sort and dispense millions of individual cells in just a single day. Cyto-Mine® technology finds and isolates cells secreting antigen-specific antibodies from complex cell populations.

THE SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL ECONOMY RUNS ON BATTERIES  Advances in battery technologies are at the forefront of a sustainable global economy, and refinements that further reduce the cost and optimize the performance of batteries are essential. SRC, through our technology partner suppliers, provides laboratories pursuing these refinements with pivotal technologies for battery R&D and QA/QC. Please keep reading to learn more about instrumentation from SRC and our innovative suppliers.
THERMO SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS	Thermo Scientific helps innovate in dry or low-solvent electrode manufacturing. The twin-screw extruder compounds anode material with minimized solvent addition. The highly viscous pastes are processed into pellets which are easily transported and stored without aging. The pellets can later be coated onto collector foil and calendared in one step. To learn more, click here to download the Continuous-twin-screw-compounding-in-a-confined-space Cost-efficient-and-ecologically-twin-screw-compounding
OXFORD INSTRUMENTS	Electrolytes are a key component in battery performance. Oxford Instruments’ benchtop NMR technology can quickly and easily distinguish between the diffusion behavior of different electrolyte solvents and help characterize important parameters such as conductivity and ion transference. For battery R&D, the Oxford Instruments X-Pulse Broadband Benchtop NMR Spectrometer provides critical data for electrolyte design. To learn more, click here to download the X-Pulse Application Note 20
PHYSICAL ELECTRONICS	X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) from Physical Electronics (PHI) is an important tool for battery material research and development. XPS can provide insights into battery performance at realistic operating conditions, and help determine the precise location of interfaces between battery components. Electronic band structure of organic and inorganic materials can also be characterized using XPS. To learn more, click here to download the PHI XPS Battery Characterization Application Note.
NANOSURF	The Flex AFM Atomic Force Microscope from Nanosurf can be used to characterize the surface topography of battery materials and components. The AFM tip can also be made electrically active and used as a probe for nanoscale conductive/ resistive pathways. Measurements can be done within an electrochemical cell to passively observe changes due to charge/discharge events. To learn more, click here to download the Nanosurf Flex AFM Brochure
WITEC	Raman Imaging Systems from WITec provide comprehensive battery material characterization. Raman imaging can highlight the distribution of electrolyte and electrode materials and investigate their crystallinity. To learn more, click here to download the WITec Alpha300 R Brochure.
BROOKHAVEN INSTRUMENTS	Battery particle charge (zeta potential) can affect slurry production and stability. The Brookhaven Instruments NanoBrook Omni provides fast, routine measurement of submicron particle size and zeta potential. This technology will help you understand sedimentation and agglomeration. To learn more, click here to download the NanoBrook Omni Brochure
AMBIVALUE	AmbiValue’s EyeTech™ Particle Size and Shape Analyzer provides fast and accurate particle size and shape analysis. Particle morphology is key for achieving optimal battery performance because particle shape affects slurry rheology, electrode coating density, porosity and uniformity. To learn more, click here to download the EyeTech Brochure
Biolin Scientific	Lithium-ion batteries are the main energy storage technology for mobile devices such as smartphones and laptops. The wettability of different parts of Li-ion batteries has become one of the key issues both in terms of manufacturing as well as for the performance and safety of batteries. To learn more, click here to download the Biolin Scientific wettability-in-li-ion-batteries

Research Corporation Your Partner in Battery Research and Development