Neutrally Buoyant in Water – Microspheres with Specific Gravity of 1g/cc

Cospheric offers polymer microspheres with specific gravity of 1g/cc are specifically designed to match the density of water for optimal suspension of particles. Suspension of microspheres in water enables the visualization and characterization of fluid flow and testing the capability of devices to withstand particulate matter in the fluid stream, ensuring that microspheres do not settle and do not float on the surface.  Most of these polymer microspheres are at least moderately opaque and clearly visible in water, clear or translucent liquids.

Many Colors are available in sizes from 10um up to 1180um,  of polyethylene microspheres are available with specific density of 1g/cc, designed for optimum suspension in water for fluid flow visualization.  Colors include Violet, Orange, Yellow, Fluorescent, Grey, Pink, Blue.

Phosphorescent Microspheres – Long Afterglow Particles

Phosphorecent Beads - Yellow Green Afterglow

Phosphorescent microspheres in particle sizes 10 to 600 microns are now available from Cospheric LLC. These phosphorescent particles are 90% spherical and appear to be off-white under ordinary daylight or regular room illumination.  However, when the lights are turned off these phosphorescent particles exhibit phosphorescent yellow-green after-glow.

The spheres have tight particle size distributions and are > 90% within size range.  Polymer spheres that incorporate proprietary phosphorescent ingredient have a melting point of 115°C , and are mechanically stable past 90°C.  Phosphorescent beads are also inert in most solvents.

Intensity of Phosphorescent Afterglow:

Intensity according to DIN 67510-1

800 mcd/m² at 1 minute
180 mcd/m² at 5 minutes
90 mcd/m² at 10 minutes
12 mcd/m² at 1 hour
5 mcd/m² at 2 hours

Excitation and Phosphorescent Emission Curve:

Density Marker Beads – Microspheres with Specific gravity of 1.065 and 1.075

Product Announcement:

Red 1.065 g/cc Spheres

In the biomedical industry researchers are sometimes looking for cells having targeted specific gravities.  In order to locate these cells in test tubes it is useful to have colored marker beads which will show where the delineation between specific densities occurs.  Two microsphere products having densities of 1.065 g/cc and 1.075 g/cc were recently released.

Blue 1.075g/cc Spheres

These spheres are offered with density tolerances of ±0.005 g/cc enabling excellent stratification, and bright blue and red coloration for high visibility with the unaided eye.

R&D Quantities are in stock and ready to purchase in sizes from 10um to 600um, larger 1kg+ quantities can be made to order to existing specifications or made to your custom color and density requirements. For more information visit:  Blue Density Marker Beads 1.075g/cc,  Red Density Marker Beads 1.065g/cc

Some Materials which have densities close to these markers are¹:

Source:
1 – Courtesy of Amersham Biosciences

Microspheres: Technologies and Global Markets

An extensive market research report titled Microspheres: Technologies and Global Markets was recently published by BCC Research marketing firm. The microspheres report examines the spherical microparticles used as components in many advanced materials and composites, in the healthcare and personal care industries, and in many specialty research and development applications. The report estimates the size of the microsphere industry worldwide and makes predictions on a 5-year compound annual growth rate of the microsphere market.

The global market for microspheres in 2010 is estimated to be $2 billion and growing at a 5–year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6%, reaching global sales of $3.5 billion by 2015.

Patent Review: Use of Adsorbent Carbon Microspheres for Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

United States Patent 7,749,497 was recently issued to Ocera Therapeutics, Inc. (San Diego, CA) regarding the use of adsorbent carbon microspheres for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

The patent invention primarily describes the use of adsorbent carbon microspheres for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and symptoms associated with it.  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by altered bowel habits without the presence of detectable structural abnormalities. IBS is fairly common and makes up 20-50% of visits to gastroenterologists.  Most commonly, patients have abdominal pain associated with altered bowel habits that consist of constipation, diarrhea, or both. The other group consists of patients with painless diarrhea.

One embodiment disclosed herein includes a method of treating one or more symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome by  administering to the subject adsorbent carbon microspheres with a particle size of 0.01mm to about 2 mm to reduce the abdominal discomfort or pain. In one embodiment, the amount of the adsorbent carbon microspheres is sufficient to achieve at least about a 50% reduction in the number of days the subject experiences abdominal pain or discomfort.

In some of the embodiments, the adsorbent carbon microspheres have a particle size of about 0.05mm to about 0.8 mm. In some of the above embodiments, the adsorbent carbon microspheres have a specific surface area of about 700 m.sup.2/g or more as determined by a BET method. In some of the above embodiments, the adsorbent carbon microspheres have a specific surface area of about 700 m.sup.2/g to about 2500 m.sup.2/g as determined by a BET method.

Microsphere Manufacturing Process:

First, a dicyclic or tricyclic aromatic compound or a mixture thereof having a boiling point of 200.degree. C. or more is added as an additive to a pitch such as a petroleum pitch or a coal pitch. The whole is heated and mixed, and then shaped to obtain a shaped pitch. Thereafter, the shaped pitch is dispersed and granulated in hot water at 70 to 180.degree. C., with stirring, to obtain a microspherical shaped pitch. The aromatic additive is extracted and removed from the shaped pitch by a solvent having a low solubility to the pitch but a high solubility to the additive. The resulting porous pitch is oxidized by an oxidizing agent to obtain a porous pitch subject to heat infusibility. The resulting infusible porous pitch is treated at 800 to 1000.degree. C. in a gas flow such as steam or carbon dioxide gas reactive with carbon to obtain a porous carbonaceous substance.

The resulting porous carbonaceous substance is then oxidized in a temperature range of 300 to 800.degree. C., preferably 320 to 600.degree. C., in an atmosphere containing 0.1 to 50% by volume, preferably 1 to 30% by volume, particularly preferably 3 to 20% by volume, of oxygen. The substance is thereafter reduced in a temperature range of 800 to 1200.degree. C., preferably 800 to 1000.degree. C., in an atmosphere of a non-oxidizable gas to obtain the final product. More details of suitable production processes and suitable products may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,681,764 and 6,830,753 and U.S. Application Publication No. 2005/0112114, filed May 26, 2005, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Suitable adsorbent carbon microspheres are commercially available from Kureha Corp., and is sold in Japan under the trade name KREMEZIN.RTM. (also known as AST-120).

Administration of the Microspheres to the Patient:

For use as described herein, adsorbent carbon microspheres may be administered to the gut of a subject by any suitable means. In one embodiment, the carbon is administered orally. Formulations for oral administration may include, but are not limited to, free flowing microspheres, granules, tablets, sugar-coated tablets, capsules, suspensions, sticks, divided packages, or emulsions. In the case of capsules, gelatin capsules, or if necessary, enteric capsules may be used. The oral dosage administered to a subject may be any amount suitable to achieve the desired therapeutic result. In some embodiments, the oral dosage in the case of a human is about 1 to 20 g of the adsorbent per day.