We built our BRAVE particle analysis devices as a modular platform which can be configured to suit your requirements. Talk to us about your challenges and we will find the best solution for you. BRAVE instruments can be upgraded with additional modules at a later date. We can also support you in coupling them to your existing instrumentation. Get in touch!
BRAVE B-Continuous
PAT device for particle sizing
BRAVE B-Continuous is directly integrated into the manufacturing process as an online PAT sensor. It monitors your production in real-time, faster and more accurately than ever before. Shake off the restraints of offline particle sizing and move towards real-time release testing and more efficient production.
BRAVE B-Curious
Nanoparticle characterization
BRAVE B-Curious revolutionizes the measurement of particle size, PSD and particle concentration in the lab. It provides single-particle sensitivity and continuous results. Adding a BRAVE B-Elementary module gives you additional in-flow Raman analysis.
BRAVE B-Curious + B-Elementary module
Particle sizing + Raman analysis
Adding a BRAVE B-Elementary module to BRAVE B-Curious combines the benefits of OF2i® particle sizing and Raman analysis to determine particle concentration and particle size continuously and identify substances using Raman spectroscopy.
Are you frustrated by the limits of conventional particle characterization methods and what this means for your research? Unlike other light scattering methods, the OF2i® method of particle characterization is particularly suited to:
The BRAVE B-Curious lab device is already at work in research into liquid-liquid phase separation processes. We believe BRAVE B-Curious would be a great asset in other biotechnological and biomedical fields. We look forward to hearing from you if you are interested in getting groundbreaking insights into particle composition and behavior on the following:
As OF2i® delivers continuous and time-resolved results you gain insights into your particle behavior as it happens in one complete and seamless measurement. This continuous recording of your particle kinetics is a huge step forward from making several “snapshot” measurements, with gaps where the sample composition can only be inferred.
Prof. Tobias Madl at the Medical University of Graz has gained valuable knowledge of the behavior of biomolecular condensates during early formation processes for his research into age-related diseases and drug targeting. This study involved measurements of particle size distributions during liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) to evaluate particle formation depending on the available RNA concentration.
The OF2i® method is both sensitive to single particles and also the absence of particles. Take, for example, 20 nanometer filtrated water. OF2i® measurements on nanofiltrated water will detect any particles above 20 nm remaining in the sample, even if the concentration is extremely low, e.g. only a few particles per milliliter. An interesting study in this field was carried out using OF2i® to detect nanoplastic particles leached into filtered water with the results confirming how sensitive OF2i® is when detecting ultra-low concentrations.
BRAVE B-Curious scans approximately 2500 particles per minute and calculates the size of each one. This means the results are more representative than results from nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA is another number-based method but with measurements restricted to around 100 particles per frame). With NTA it is also possible for the user to select the “best looking” frame for measurement, pressing sample through if the view is dominated by one oversized particle, for example, or selecting a frame in which enough particles are registered by the device. This does not happen with OF2i® as the sample is measured as it flows through the flow cell (and is trapped by the laser beam). A high number of particles are evaluated in one measurement.
By the beginning of 2024, BRAVE Analytics will launch its BRAVE B-Continuous online device with OF2i® inside. This online sensor is for:
As BRAVE B-Continuous uses the OF2i® method and provides the same measuring protocols as BRAVE B-Curious, you can easily upscale your research into production and always have compatible results.
BRAVE B-Continuous is already being tested by a global pharmaceutical concern in its pilot plant. This test installation is for monitoring the exact composition of nanoemulsion nutritional admixtures for quality control, process optimization and more efficient compliance with regulations.
Let us help you find a solution
Which BRAVE technology suits you best?
Select your main focus and see how our lab devices and PAT sensors can solve your particle challenges.
BRAVE products for a BRAVE world
To investigate and determine particle size and particle size distributions use BRAVE Analytics' OF2i® device, BRAVE B-Curious.
To monitor particle counts and track changes in particle concentration, use BRAVE Analytics combined OF2i®-SPLS (single-particle light scattering) device, BRAVE B-Curious with B-Aware module.
The continuous in-flow OF2i® measurement with single-particle accuracy provides detailed insights into all the particle populations of your sample and allows you to track changes in particle size and particle concentrations so as to keep on top of e.g. homogenization steps and other processes involving strict requirements for particle size distribution.
And prepare to be surprised: conventional methods of particle analysis like DLS, NTA or Laser Diffraction only show a fraction of what the patented OF2i® method reveals. With OF2i® you will get a better understanding of your particles’ sizes and behavior, and learn more about the processes involved.
To investigate and determine particle size and particle size distributions use BRAVE Analytics' OF2i® device, BRAVE B-Curious.
To monitor particle counts and track changes in particle concentration, use BRAVE Analytics combined OF2i®-SPLS (single-particle light scattering) device, BRAVE B-Curious with B-Aware module.
Take the guesswork out of fermentation processes
Don't let a batch spoil while waiting for results from the lab. Connect a BRAVE particle device to your reactor and analyze a few microliters per hour to instantly get a window into cell growth and protein expression.
You can now make informed decisions about the best time to harvest, minimize product heterogeneity and aggregation levels.
BRAVE devices deliver the right results to keep you in the loop.
Keep on top of changes in your particle systems and take the guesswork out of e.g. fermentation or emulsion polymerization processes. As it delivers data points every second, the BRAVE B-Aware module for BRAVE B-Curious base station is ideal for monitoring the behavior of particle systems which tend to agglomerate quickly. If you want to stop a process before monomers suddenly become too many dimers, trimers or fibrils, monitoring the particle count and particle concentration continuously and in real-time is now reality.
Working alongside BRAVE B-Curious to deliver complementary insights, the additional module BRAVE B-Aware opens the door to observing small particles down to 5 nm. With data from BRAVE B-Aware you can detect and take advantage of the ideal time to stop a process in order to get the best end product and avoid costly mistakes during production.
Production monitoring
BRAVE
PAT sensors
BRAVE Analytics provides a PAT sensor version of all its technologies. For online monitoring of biotech formulations, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and in semiconductor and polymer manufacturing, we have a PAT solution for you.
BRAVE B-Curious
Particle sizing, PSD determination
BRAVE B-Curious determines the particle size distributions of polydisperse systems with single-particle sensitivity.
Delivers automated, continuous and time-resolved results.
Detects ultra-low particle concentrations as well as large-particle tails, LPC, anomalies and outliers.
BRAVE B-Aware
Detection of small particle signals and object counts
The BRAVE B-Aware module detects and tracks very small particles (from 5 nm) and delivers particle counts and particle concentration values.
Ideal for detecting the onset of aggregation and tracking sample behavior when very small particles are involved.
Continuous in-flow measurement.
BRAVE B-Phat
Large particle detection
The BRAVE B-Phat module detects and sizes large particles based on dynamic imaging / obscuration principles.
Can be used to assess PFAT5 values, detect large aggregates, large-particle tails and anomalies.
Also useful for predictive maintenance.
BRAVE B-Elementary
In-flow Raman analytics
The BRAVE B-Elementary module detects and identifies particles (<1 µm) and microplastics (1 µm to 50 µm) using Raman spectroscopy.
Automated measurement & minimum sample preparation for user-independent results.
Continuous in-flow measurement, ideal for detecting low particle concentrations, even with fluorescent substances.
ACCESSORIES
Modules for sample handling
To make your lab life easier, BRAVE Analytics provides modules for automatic sample handling and sample dilution.
Are you in the dark about the inner workings of your particle systems?
Is your sample a black box?
If your focus is on understanding and optimizing the behavior of biologics, for example, imagine this: you have the capability to observe and document changes or reactions in the sample during measurement in real time. The result: an unprecedented view of your particles.
Track particle concentration and particle size over time on a single-particle basis and with values documented every second. This illuminates sample kinetics such as:
After measurement, the BRAVE device uses an automated self-cleaning cycle to save you time and effort.
Production monitoring
BRAVE
PAT sensors
BRAVE Analytics provides a PAT sensor version of all its technologies. For online monitoring of biotech formulations, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and in semiconductor and polymer manufacturing, we have a PAT solution for you.
BRAVE B-Curious
Particle sizing, PSD determination
BRAVE B-Curious determines the particle size distributions of polydisperse systems with single-particle sensitivity.
Delivers automated, continuous and time-resolved results.
Detects ultra-low particle concentrations as well as large-particle tails, LPC, anomalies and outliers.
BRAVE B-Aware
Detection of small particle signals and object counts
The BRAVE B-Aware module detects and tracks very small particles (from 5 nm) and delivers particle counts and particle concentration values.
Ideal for detecting the onset of aggregation and tracking sample behavior when very small particles are involved.
Continuous in-flow measurement.
BRAVE B-Phat
Large particle detection
The BRAVE B-Phat module detects and sizes large particles based on dynamic imaging / obscuration principles.
Can be used to assess PFAT5 values, detect large aggregates, large-particle tails and anomalies.
Also useful for predictive maintenance.
BRAVE B-Elementary
In-flow Raman analytics
The BRAVE B-Elementary module detects and identifies particles (<1 µm) and microplastics (1 µm to 50 µm) using Raman spectroscopy.
Automated measurement & minimum sample preparation for user-independent results.
Continuous in-flow measurement, ideal for detecting low particle concentrations, even with fluorescent substances.
ACCESSORIES
Modules for sample handling
To make your lab life easier, BRAVE Analytics provides modules for automatic sample handling and sample dilution.
Initial use cases have shown that OptoFluidic Force Induction can provide unprecedented insights into particle activity. These include applications in pharma and biotech, cosmetics, medical research and water analysis. We also see potential in microelectronics, coatings and environmental analysis. The applications of the groundbreaking OF2i® method are almost limitless.
Especially in the production and monitoring of pharmaceutical emulsions, infusions, vaccines or pain killers, exact particle size distributions have be monitored and guaranteed. The BRAVE PAT sensor is already delivering results in a pilot plant for optimizing the production of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) formulations produced in high-pressure homogenization steps. The lab device for particle sizing is successfully used for research on liposomes, proteins, vaccines and virus-like particles.
Why OF2i®?
Due to OF2i’s single-particle sensitivity and its ability to resolve even complex, polydisperse systems it is delivering pioneering results in biotech and pharmaceutical applications.
When producing cosmetics products such as sunscreens, the EU requires nanoparticles below a certain size to be declared on the labeling. With OF2i® you can produce cosmetics that just contain particle sizes up to the limit and not below.
Why OF2i®?
Due to its single-particle accuracy and the possibility to measure directly in the production process, OF2i® can ensure that the particle size limit is not exceeded.
Waste water that is led back into rivers or seas must be analyzed meticulously to ensure it has no negative affects on the environment. Bottled and tap water also have to comply with strict regulations. Whether waste water, bottle water or tap water, OF2i® detects even the smallest nanoplastic particles, viruses, bacteria, antibiotics or other contaminations.
Why OF2i®?
No other method for particle characterization is capable of detecting ultra-low concentrations in waste water or drinking water with this degree of sensitivity.
Whether researching biomolecular condensate formation, drug dissociation and dissolution or the production of virus-like particles OF2i® gives insights into the processes unlike anything seen before. OF2i® makes it possible to monitor kinetic processes such as the formation and size distribution of proteins, lipids and extracellular vesicles over time.
Why OF2i®?
Of all the methods for particle characterization only OF2i® is able to monitor sample kinetics seamlessly and continuously over time.
The possibilities of OF2i® are endless for industrial research. In the case of chemical-mechanical-planarization and polishing, for example, the particle size distribution of the CMP slurry is a critical parameter for the success of the process. OF2i® is well-suited to detecting large-particle tails in the slurry. OF2i® also contributes to online quality control of nanocomposite electroplating processes in order to obtain a more homogeneous particle size distribution, reduced particle size, and upgraded final products.
Why OF2i®?
With OF2i® you obtain more accurate measurement results of particle sizes, particle size distributions and representative data for the whole particle population. This minimizes critical problems during production processes and reduces rejects. In the field of electroplating OF2i® can monitor nanoparticle concentrations continuously in the electrolytic bath.
Hydroxyapatite nanocrystals are used for the treatment of bone defects and for the remineralization of tooth enamel. For online quality control during the production of these crystals the OF2i® method has been implemented as a PAT sensor.
Why OF2i®?
OF2i® has many benefits in the field of online quality control. Hydroxyapatite nanocrystals can be monitored and controlled during production. The gathered measurement results are representative for the whole particle population and are displayed continuously.
All the BRAVE technologies are available as a PAT version for online integration into your production line. Get in touch with our engineers for a custom-tailored solution for your plant and particle challenges.
With BRAVE PAT sensors you benefit from:
If your processes are time-sensitive it makes no sense to spend hours waiting for results from the lab. Remove this painful bottleneck by checking on e.g. fermentation progress in just minutes every hour or monitor changes in particle populations directly online 24/7. With the BRAVE devices you can keep track of what is happening in your reactors or tanks and have all the information to make the right decisions at the right time.
Benefit from particle analysis which gives you:
However complex your particles systems are, you have regulations and standards to uphold. The BRAVE particle sizing devices help you achieve smooth-running production with no headaches by providing:
Adding a Raman analysis module to the base station gives you unique particle analytics so you can:
The BRAVE large-particle detector opens the door to real-time evaluation of the PFAT5 value and raises your production to a new level of quality and cost-efficiency.
Detecting and identifying contaminants
The appearance of unexpected and unwanted large particles might ruin a whole batch or production run, wasting time and resources and causing financial losses. The BRAVE technologies can save you these headaches by discovering large particles in real time so you can respond before disaster strikes. As we provide continuous, in-flow, large-volume scans with single-particle sensitivity, even low concentrations of contaminants are found.
Choose the module to cover your size range within 5 nm to 80 µm and look forward to a more relaxed approach to production. We provide both online PAT sensors as well as benchtop analyzers for the lab.
Adding an additional Raman analyzer lets you identify the contaminants so you can troubleshoot your process and discover the source of the problem.
BRAVER & BETTER THAN THE REST
UNIQUE COMBINATIONS
Combine the patented OF2i® principle for particle sizing with particle detection down to 5 nm, add a unique in-flow Raman analysis and/or extend the range to detect large-particle tails up to 80 µm.
FAST & RELIABLE
All BRAVE technologies measure continuously and deliver a live data stream. Use the BRAVE devices in the lab and upscale to full production monitoring with a PAT sensor using the same routines.
ACCURATE
The BRAVE devices provide measurement results based on single-particle sensitivity. As sample is pumped through the flow cell continuously, particles are detected and characterized even in low concentrations.
REPRESENTATIVE
As the BRAVE technologies analyze a large number of particles per sample and easily manage low concentrations, results are statistically valid. Results for e.g. particle sizing are given as full histograms and not just average values.
EASY TO INTEGRATE
You can integrate the BRAVE technologies into your production process as online PAT sensors. For lab measurements, BRAVE modules are also available as benchtop analyzers.
CONTINUOUS
BRAVE devices deliver measurement data continuously and in real-time - not just the PAT sensors (24/7 operation) but also the lab devices (measurement over a time you define).
BRAVE B-Elementary makes Raman analysis easier than ever before. Your sample analysis will run without you, meaning you are free to get on with other work.
Microplastics
Inorganic substances
Organic substances
Contamination
Medicines e.g. nanocarriers
OF2i® integrates directly into the manufacturing process as an online PAT sensor. It continuously delivers measurement data in real-time so you can check, adjust and optimize your production processes.
Our nanoparticle analyzer for the lab BRAVE B-Curious is available to order now. The online PAT sensor BRAVE B-Continuous is currently being optimized and tested together with selected partners and will be available in 2024.
OF2i® has single-particle sensitivity. It can even detect ultra-low particle concentrations, single large particles or outliers, e.g. a few nanoplastic particles in one milliliter of water.
Quickly available measurement data is one of OF2i®’s many strengths. As soon as the measurement starts you can see a live stream of the particles in the H.A.N.S. software and results are ready immediately.
Contact us at sales@braveanalytics.eu. We will answer all your questions, offer a live demo either at your site or online and discuss further steps (including: a feasability study, comparison measurements, measuring campaign).
Yes, the lab device measures over minutes and even hours. As a PAT device BRAVE B-Continuous is made for 24-hour operation.
Absolutely. While established methods typcially deliver average values as results, OF2i® delivers number-based values with single-particle sensitivity. These results are statistically valid and representative of all the present particle populations.
While established particle analysis technologies are based on Brownian motion and therefore subject to restrictions and irregularities, OF2i® goes one step further and accelerates nanoparticles with defined fluidic and optically induced forces. With OF2i® a laser beam propagates through a flow cell. In this case it only takes minimal photonic forces to accelerate, decelerate or redirect the nanoparticles regardless of their Brownian motion. By using an ultramicroscopic setup OF2i® can obtain the intensities from single particle light scattering, the single particle trajectories and the particle number per transported volume. With the obtained data the opto-fluidic force induction technology is able to determine particle sizes, particle size distributions and particle concentration continuously and in real-time – and all this with a throughput of up to 1000 particles per minute.
The basic structure of the OF2i® nanoparticle measurement technology consists of a laser (532 nm linear polarized CW DPSS with a maximum output power of 2W), a microfluidic channel and an ultramicroscope (10x PLAN microscope objective). First nanoparticles are pumped through a liquid in a cylindrical flow cell. Then a weakly focused vortex or Laguerre-Gaussian laser beam with an orbital angular momentum (OAM) is focused through the sample. The laser exerts optical forces on the nanoparticles so they move along spiral-shaped trajectories, this reduces collisions between particles to a minimum. The nanoparticles excited by the laser beam scatter the light, which is monitored by the ultramicroscope objective and recorded by a CCD camera at a rate of 200 frames per second. In addition OF2i® gathers information about the scattering cross-sections and uses particle tracking to determine the velocities of the individual particles. A computer controls laser output power and the fluidic flow.
Mie theory describes the scattering phenomena of electromagnetic waves on spheric particles. For the OF2i® principle we have developed a theoretical model for Mie scattering of a spherical nanoparticle excited by a Laguerre-Gaussian laser beam. This requires a multipole expansion of the electromagnetic fields in terms of spherical Bessel and Hankel functions as well as vector spherical harmonics. The electromagnetic fields outside of the nanosphere can then be represented by the multipole coefficients an, bn, where n labels the different spherical degrees and orders. Against this background the theoretical principle of OF2i® can be described in three steps.
Step 1:
Step 2:
By employing the usual Mie coefficients we compute the coefficients an, bn for the scattered electromagnetic fields.
Step 3:
Finally, from the sum of incoming and scattered electromagnetic fields, we compute the force acting on the spherical nanoparticle using the analytic expressions given in R. Gutierrez-Cuevas, N. J. Moore, and M. A. Alonso, Phys. Rev. A 97, 053848 (2018).
As input for the OF2i® principle we only require the refractive indices of the nanosphere and the embedding medium. As the vortex field is known, we obtain the optical force Fopt(r) acting on the nanosphere at some position r. Using Newton’s equation of motion and Stoke’s equation for viscous flows, the exact velocity distribution in the nanosphere v field can be calculated.
With this formula we can start a brave venture into a new era of nanoparticle characterization:
The theoretical model of the OF2i® principle contains no free parameters. This means it only requires calibration of the predetermined video image scale and the measured input laser intensity. OF2i® is a calibration-free method for our customers.
As soon as the laser beam reaches the nanoparticles in the sample, they are trapped and move along the intensity maxima of the vortex beam. Nanoparticles that have not been trapped by the beam are transported by the fluid in the transverse direction. With OptoFluidic Force Induction we can distinguish three types of trajectories.
I.
If nanoparticles are trapped from the beginning and are accelerated by the optical forces their velocity curves are in almost perfect agreement with the maxima of the experimental velocity histograms.
II.
There are also nanoparticles that initially do not move along the intensity maxima but these are deflected by the optical forces and finally become trapped while propagating down the flow channel.
III.
Finally there are nanoparticles that are not trapped by the laser or the optical forces. They do not scatter light and remain dark in the analysis algorithms.
BRAVE B-Curious implements a new approach to particle analysis: OF2i®. This new principle of particle characterization uses opto-fluidic forces to accelerate, decelerate, trap or even redirect nanoparticles. OF2i® (OptoFluidic Force Induction) allows you to measure particle size, particle size distributions and particle concentrations more exactly than ever before – with single-particle sensitivity and statistical relevance. Unlike established methods, the patented OF2i® method is not dependent on Brownian motion. With OF2i® you measure continuously and in real-time and can even resolve complex, polydisperse systems.
| Specifications | OF2i® |
|---|---|
Detection limit |
A few objects / mL |
Object size range |
50 to 3000 nm (sample-dependent) |
Detected substances |
Nanoplastics (e.g. SiO2, polystyrene, PP), PFAS |
Measuring mode |
Online
(either coupled to the process or from a sample container) |
BRAVE ANALYTICS
Our expertise
As a partner in the MOZART project (MOZART for safe & sustainable by-design metallic coatings & engineered surfaces (RIA)), we received funding from the European Commission as part of the EU Horizon 2020 program.
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