A pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) that formulates client drug substances into solutions and powders, with spray drying as a standard process. The Dropometer is used by its formulation development scientists.
In spray drying, a liquid's surface tension affects the size of the droplets the atomiser makes, and so the size of the dried particles. Clients were asking for many surface tension measurements, and the team wanted a fast way to see how each excipient changed a formulation without adjusting the spray dryer.
A Dropometer with pendant drop surface tension, contact angle and sliding angle apps, the automatic dropper and the automatic tilting stage, bought directly from Droplet Lab. The scientist assembled and started it from Droplet Lab's tutorial videos, and a remote onboarding call fine tuned the automatic dropper.
23 April 2025: quote request through the Droplet Lab website. 30 May 2025: order placed. 2 July 2025: instrument delivered; the scientist assembled it from the tutorial videos and ran first surface tension trials. 14 July 2025: remote onboarding call.
Under 12 weeks after the first enquiry, the team was measuring surface tension in its own lab. Its first trials showed that slight differences in formulation give different surface tensions. The scientists use those measurements to tailor a formulation toward smaller or larger droplets without changing the spray drying process.
Pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO).
Client drug substances formulated as solutions and spray dried powders.
Formulation development, before and alongside spray drying.
Formulation development scientists.
Formulation liquids with different excipients; coated surfaces planned for adhesion work.
Many measurements for client formulations, a need for fast measurements, and confidential formulations.
Every excipient a formulator adds can change surface tension, and surface tension changes the droplets a spray dryer makes.
Each excipient a formulator adds can also change surface tension. The team's early trials showed that slight differences in a formulation give different surface tensions.
Process settings can also shift droplet size. The team's aim is to tailor the formulation instead, moving toward the droplet size it needs without doing too much to an established spray drying process.
Timeline (high level)
Purchase order for surface tension, contact angle and sliding angle with automatic dropper and tilting stage
Pendant drop surface tension of formulation liquids, with drops formed by the automatic dropper and analysed in the Dropometer's pendant drop app.
Operated by the CDMO's formulation development scientists. Set up by the team from Droplet Lab's tutorial videos, with one remote onboarding call.
The CDMO has not shared measurement data. The Dropometer's drop shape method, including pendant drop surface tension, is validated against a KRÜSS DSA100E in peer review.
This page describes how the CDMO uses surface tension to guide formulation for spray drying. It does not report the CDMO's surface tension values, particle sizes or client formulations, which are confidential.
Measured Outcomes
Under 12 weeks
From the website quote request on 23 April 2025 to the team's own surface tension trials, run between delivery on 2 July and the onboarding call on 14 July.
3
Surface tension, contact angle and sliding angle, with the automatic dropper and tilting stage.
1
The scientist assembled the kit and ran first trials from the tutorial videos, so one remote call on 14 July 2025 covered dropper speed and the apps.
Operational Outcomes
Surface tension differences between formulations guide excipient choice toward the droplet and particle size needed.
The scientist assembled the instrument and made first measurements from the tutorial videos.
Tilting stage ready for adhesion and sliding work.
This page does not show the price. The CDMO bought directly from Droplet Lab: surface tension, contact angle and sliding angle apps with the automatic dropper and tilting stage, on one portable instrument.
Bought directly from Droplet Lab in 2025.
Surface tension, contact angle and sliding angle.
Automatic dropper and automatic tilting stage.
Instrument pricing is available on request.
So it's really helpful for us to understand and this is a great technique to really do it with.Senior Development Scientist - Formulation development, pharmaceutical CDMO
