Eyecon2

The Innopharma Eyecon2 (distributed by HORIBA) is a direct imaging particle size and shape analyzer that uses real-time spatial filtering technique (RTSFT) to provide rapid, non-invasive particle size and shape measurements in manufacturing environments, particularly for at-line and in-process monitoring of pharmaceutical crystallization, granulation, and milling operations. Unlike laser diffraction or DLS which derive size from light scattering models, the Eyecon2 directly images particles in real time: a pulsed LED illumination source and high-speed camera capture thousands of particle images per second, from which particle size (equivalent circle diameter) and shape parameters (aspect ratio, circularity) are calculated automatically for each particle. The system requires no sample preparation or dispersion – it can be used directly in process streams, slurry vessels, or with small at-line sample amounts. This makes it particularly valuable for monitoring polymorphic transformations and crystal growth kinetics during pharmaceutical crystallization development, where the size and shape of crystals evolve over time and must be tracked in real time. The Eyecon2 measures particle sizes from approximately 50 µm to 3000 µm, covering the crystal and granule size range most relevant to solid dosage form manufacturing. The direct imaging approach provides shape information (habit, aspect ratio, elongation) alongside size, which is critical for characterizing needle-like crystals, platelets, and other non-spherical particles where equivalent spherical diameter models may be misleading. NewRoad provides the Innopharma Eyecon2 in Israel for pharmaceutical process development, crystallization research, and manufacturing QC applications.