We constantly listen to our customers and partners regarding tailoring the Eyecon2 for each organisation. Below are a list of quesitions we are frequently asked. If there is an unanswered question that you have relating to your specific need or project you can get in touch with us.
What can a particle analyser do for us?
Capture the real-time data analysis and profile of your powders and bulk solids with Eyecon2. Troubleshoot and improve end-product goals with particle size and shape data. Adopt automated process control to drive down production cost.
What is non-product contact?
Non-product contact measurement minimizes risk with hazardous materials and prevents instrument contamination of the material. It is a method that doesn't interfere with the process itself.
What size ranges can the Eyecon2 measure?
The Eyecon2 can measure bulk solids between 50 – 5500 µm
Which industries are the Eyecon2 suitable to conduct particle size analysis for?
Eyecon2 is suitable as a particle analyser for any particles in its size measurement range. Examples of industries include, but not limitied to, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Mining & Minerals, Food & Beverage, Construction Materials, Energy and Power, Milling, Plastics etc
How would you describle the capabilities of Machine Learning that Eyecon2 uses?
A full rundown of how machine learning works in conjunction with the Eyecon2 can be reviewed here.
Can particle in liquids be analysed?
No, but the Eyecon2 can measure wet particles such as materials wetted in a fluid bed or twin screw granulator
What is the difference between In-line, On-line and At-line?
How can an Eyecon2 be integrated In-line onto process machinery?
The Eyecon2 is non product contact device and will either view through a window or onto a chute to measure particles. We offer integration services for installation of the Eyecon2 In-Line. In some cases this integration can be an 'off the self' solution like a bracket to mount the Eyecon2 on an existing process window or, if there is no suitable window, we will design and fabricate an integration solution to install the Eyecon2 In-Line.
How can I arrange a call with the product team?
The best way to get in contact with the team is through our 'Start a Conversation' enquiry at the bottom of this page
In the at-line Eyecon2 System, what is the appropriate lens height for offline measurement?
For offline/at-line measurement, the height is a set value between 0-25mm. This height value is dependent on various factors such as the refractive index of light and the medium it passes through. The height the Eyecon2 has the most impact on the crossover of light from the Red, Green, and Blue LED from the illumination source. The camera’s optics are on a motor and travel to the correct focal distance, the illumination source cannot move automatically and must be set at the right height away from the material.
Can the Eyecon2 measure transparent materials?
EyePASS V3.0 software can accurately measure transparent materials thanks to new machine learning capabilities built into the software EyePASS V3.0.
Can Eyecon2 recognize the change in particle size during tablet coating?
Yes, please download our application note titled “Real-Time Prediction of Polymer-Coated Multiparticulate Dissolution using Process Analytical Technology” from the Eyecon2 resources section of our website
When measuring powder, how is the boundary of each particle defined?
In an image, the boundary edges are matched to edge of the various particles. The major and minor axis are fitted from this. The major axis is the longest line that can be drawn through the particle and the minor axis is the longest line that can be drawn through the particle that continues to be perpendicular to the major axis. The corresponding ellipse is overlaid onto the coloured particles. In this way the D numbers are calculated.
During the Wurster coating process, how does the coating measurement happen?
The coating thickness value is derived from the difference in Dv50s between the start of spraying and the point at which coating factor has been added, divided by two as the Dv50 is a measure of diameter. As the material is coated the Eyecon2 will detect a change in particular size and show it in real time. Add link to CC GAT coat
How sensitive is the Eyecon2 to detect the change in granule size during the measurement?
Eyecon2 can measure the particle size and shape of bulk solids between 50 and 5,500 μm. For the Coating study the Eyecon was sensitive enough to detect changes in coating thickness as low as 5um. Add link to CC GAT Coat
Can every 1% of drug loading during the process be diferentiated with Eyecon2 results?
The Eyecon2 will not directly report when every 1% of drug loading is added, instead a calculation based on two things, 1) the loss on weight of the spray binder from the scales and 2) the coating thickness from the Eyecon2 D value results should be compared to to infer the % of drug loading. Add link to CC GAT coat
Can the Eyecon2 be configured to output sphericity?
The Eyecon2 uses eccentricity to determine how close to particle is to a perfect circle. The eccentricity formula is really the measure of a how close to perfect a circle is to zero, where the major diameter equals the minor diameter. 1 being completely non-circular with an infinite ratio of length to width, such as a straight line. The eccentricity of an ellipse which is not a circle, is greater than zero but less than 1. This method is comprehensive to more particles than sphericity since not all particles analysed tend to be globular and eccentricity gives a hint on the macro shape of the particle itself.
There is a plethora of shape descriptors available in the field of particle analysis. Quantitatively, aspect ratio, compactness, elongation, circularity, sphericity, convexity, and eccentricity are just some of more popular terms yet there is not one widely recognised method to determine shape as the principal method of quantitative feature extraction.
Based on the third-dimension assumption used in our volumetric calculations (mean of D1 and D2 in the case of each particle) we thought that a possibility of conversion between the two methods in theory existed, but there is no direct or clear conversion between them. As you intend to use this value as an input to an equation describing the aerodynamic drag of particles in a fluidising airflow the elliptical model is likely to throw results way-off. The rough surface texture of these particles will cause their drag to be much higher than the equivalent smooth ellipse. The only correlation that could be established it that a lower eccentricity could mean higher sphericity.
How do you detect particle share when particles overlap?
Instead of using a Black & White lighting model our illumination method of using Red, Green and Blue LEDS shows the crossover of light between the particles. This is further enhanced by our machine learning capability to show both the shape and size of overlapping particles.
Is it neccesary to buy a new Eyecon2 to include the Machine Learning feature?
Machine Learning can be considered a software update to the existing EyePASS software that the instrument is running. It would not be neccesary to purchase new equipment to get this feature. This new software is an advance in technology and does require further computational power so as long as the laptop being used has suffient graphics card there is no issue to upgrade.
Is there a scale bar on the images?
This feature was added to the V3.0 of the software and it is useful because you have a reference of what size you expect your particles to be and the size the are at the moment of the analysis. It is costumizable regarding the colour and the size of the bar.
Can 21 CRF be turned off?
No, and this is how ensure results are compliant with 21CFR.
Does it capture an image every 5 seconds?
On average, yes. Different fators can impact on this.
What are the minimal dimensions for the window the Eyecon2 will be mounted onto?
50 mm width/diameter and up to 20mm of thickness
Can a guess purge anti-fouling nosel be integrated inside a fluid bed?
Yes, it can and in our experience this is considered quite invasive and results may vary from process to process. Other solutions as our wiper could be better suited in some cases
Which ISO standards apply to particle measurement?
ISO 13322-1:2014 Particle size analysis — Image analysis methods — Part 1: Static image analysis methods; ISO 13322-2:2021 Particle size analysis — Image analysis methods — Part 2: Dynamic image analysis methods; ISO 13320:2020 Particle size analysis — Laser diffraction methods; ISO 17867:2020 Particle size analysis — Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS); ISO 19430:2016 Particle size analysis — Particle tracking analysis (PTA) method, ISO 22412:2017 Particle size analysis — Dynamic light scattering (DLS)