Purification of pill solutions by centrifugation

[suspect: riverkat]

As all nerds know, centrifuges are way cool! A typical table-top microfuge can spill blood into plasma and cells! It can (in the right solutions) separate protein quite effectively from DNA, leaving a convenient lil' pellet at the bottom.

Now this makes me wonder why no-one has considered/mentioned the possible use of a centrifuge to purify pills for injection. Any insoluable matter will not only form a pretty solid sediment at the bottom while leaving drug in solution, but I would expect it to be much closer to a micron filter than a cotton filter, without the problems of clogging up micron filters, waste of solution, throwing out piles of sterile packaging, and so forth.

Any experiences, comments, suggestions, criticism of this idea?

 

[MurphyClox]

No criticism in the first place. Sounds really like a useful alternative. To be honest: I've never wasted a thought about this application. On the other hand: I never thought about injecting at all :D But the idea sounds good to me...

Peace! MurphyClox

 

[Dondante]

If needed, I use a centrifuge and then a micron filter. Works like a charm.

 

[Groovy guru]

Actually it's a pretty standard method of getting rid of precipitates that could clog up your column before loading your sample...

 

[pkt]

Where would one go about acquiring said device?

 

[negrogesic]

You can buy a small centrifuge online for probably $300-400. If you have a lathe and know how to correctly balance things, you can make a pretty powerful one using a vacuum cleaner motor....

 

[fastandbulbous]

^ Aye, there's the rub (bit of Shakespeare for all you uncultured heathens! )

Centrifuges aren't the sort of thing you can knock up in a garage as at high speede even the slightest imbalance will cause it to self destruct in a very violent manner. You have to get a a proper one, which either means getting a second hand one from a uni (how I got mine, from a skip actualy when they were replacing all the equipment at the local university) or shelling out a small fortune & buying one new.

 

[negrogesic]

It is not entirely unlike a well balanced flywheel. I did know someone who injured themselves making a centrifuge with an electric hedger motor, but it was his fault for not securing it properly.

Here are some photos of a shitty homemade centrifuge i just found (but notice how even in this one, it probably wouldnt detach)...

http://rides.webshots.com/album/556890942jabCSH

 

[Groovy guru]

Where would one go about acquiring said device?

If you want a small one which would use 1.5 ml plastic tubes, they aren't that expensive - I saw one just googling for 150 (no sources discussion - right ;-) )

You don't need all that high a G-force for your purposes either - so a cheapie should do the trick.