Cambridge Consultants is developing a low-cost, portable instrument that could revolutionize the way certain drug delivery devices are tested. The new device can mirror the performance and level of data provided by current laboratory laser diffraction measurement machines, for an estimated one-hundredth of the cost when integrated into a high volume device. It measures the droplet size distribution in an airstream, which is a technique used in testing respiratory drug delivery devices.

Dr. Robert Jones, Senior Consultant at Cambridge Consultants states that this device can achieve in a very simple configuration the multiple angles of combination, wavelength and polarization-state that is needed to get good data from the Mile scatter. He said that the software, developed with this device, is based on Bayesian inference and provides very useful data easily and quickly.

The Cambridge Consultants device is based on low-cost LED components, considerably simplified optical configurations and the application of modern signal processing. It is designed to be robust, portable and simple enough to potentially be operated by semi-skilled clinicians, with standard IT equipment to produce highly accurate plots that indicate the number of droplets within a pre-selected range of sizes. Drugs can therefore be tested at the point of delivery, during clinical trials for example, to ensure doses are delivered as intended by the drug developer. For more information visit: www.CambridgeConsultants.com.

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