FREEZE-DRYING PROCESS AND APPARATUS

摘要

A freeze-drying process includes a freezing step of rotating the vial (1) about its longitudinal axis at a speed not less than that required to maintain by centrifugal force the aqueous material to be freeze-dried in the form of a shell (7) on the inner walls of the vial (1) and then subjecting the material to freezing conditions to freeze it in the form of said shell (7). In another aspect of the invention, the freeze-drying process also includes the step of drying the shell frozen material (7), by directing heat radially inwards from a heating block (14) to the shell frozen material (7) and increasing the temperature over a time period to dry the shell frozen material (7).