Device and Method for Controlling Crystallization

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This invention describes a device and method for precisely and automatically controlling the crystallization process of substances dissolved in a solvent, particularly for biological macromolecules like proteins. By using dynamic light scattering (DLS), precise environmental controls, and automated dosing, the process allows for real-time observation and regulation of crystal formation, enabling reproducible and efficient production of high-quality crystals for analysis, such as X-ray crystallography.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Growing protein crystals for X-ray crystallography in structural biology research.
• Automated high-throughput screening of crystallization conditions for drug development.
• Crystallization of challenging biomolecules, especially membrane proteins relevant to pharmaceuticals.
• Production of large, single crystals needed for detailed molecular analysis.
• Quality-controlled crystal growth in materials science and chemistry laboratories.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables reproducible and automated crystallization of biological molecules, reducing reliance on trial-and-error methods.
• Provides real-time, non-invasive monitoring and control over crystal nucleation and growth using DLS.
• Allows precise navigation and maintenance of conditions within critical zones of the phase diagram for optimal crystal quality.
• Supports crystallization of otherwise difficult or impossible targets, such as membrane proteins.
• Improves success rates for producing large, high-quality crystals required for structural analysis techniques.
• Minimizes sample loss and waste by tightly controlling quantities and solution compositions.
• Facilitates high-throughput and standardized crystallization for industrial, pharmaceutical, and academic applications.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a method for crystallizing a substance dissolved in a solvent, comprising the following steps: introducing a solvent volume containing the substance into a chamber having a preset temperature, humidity, and gas composition, adding a predetermined volume of a precipitate to the solvent volume containing the substance, allowing the solvent to evaporate while simultaneously observing structural changes in the solvent volume containing the substance and the precipitate by means of dynamic light scattering, detecting weight changes and determining the molarities, making an association with the location in the phase diagram on the basis of the DLS measurement and the results of the molarity determination, allowing a predetermined number of crystal nuclei to form by adding solvent or adding precipitate, putting the solvent volume containing the substance and the precipitate into a metastable state by adding solvent and/or protein solution or by allowing the concentration of the dissolved substance to decrease by allowing nucleation cores to form, maintaining the metastable state by adding a predetermined amount of the substance to the solvent volume containing the substance and the precipitate or allowing the solvent to evaporate until at least one crystal of a predetermined size is formed.