Ampoules are traditional glass containers for injecting agents, which are often used for long-term preservation of small amounts of drugs, or high-purity medicines that must be isolated from the air. Medicinal ampoules provide maximum protection for painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, emergency medicines, and anesthetics, as well as essential drugs and diluents for freeze-drying applications.

Due to the special inertness of glass materials and the reliability of flame sealing, the sealing of ampoules often adopts the flame sealing method, that is, the mouth of the ampoule is melted and sealed under the flame，

INNOVA laboratory freeze dryer can be equipped with a 24-bit ampoule stainless steel drying rack, suitable for a 1-20ml ampoule.

Here's a breakdown of each step for Freeze-drying and sealing:

1. Cleaning the ampoule: The first step is to clean the ampoule to ensure it is free from contaminants. This is done by soaking the ampoule in 2% hydrochloric acid overnight. Afterward, it is rinsed with tap water, soaked in distilled water until the pH is neutral, and then dried. The ampoule is labeled and a skimmed cotton stopper is added. Finally, it is autoclaved at 121℃ for 15-20 minutes to sterilize it.

2. Dispensing the reagent: The prepared reagent is dispensed into the ampoule. A long capillary dropper is used to drop the reagent directly into the bottom of the ampoule, taking care not to splash the upper bottle wall. The dispensing process should be as short as possible, ideally completed within 1-2 hours. It is important to maintain sterile conditions during this step.

3. Pre-freezing: The filled ampoules are pre-frozen either in the cold chamber of a freeze dryer or in a refrigerator. Pre-freezing helps to solidify the contents of the ampoules and prepares them for the freeze-drying process. Once pre-frozen, the ampoules are transferred to the ampoule rack for freeze-drying.

4. Freeze-drying: The ampoules are placed in the freeze dryer for the freeze-drying process. Freeze-drying, also known as lyophilization, involves removing the moisture from the ampoules by subjecting them to low temperatures and vacuum conditions. This process preserves the integrity and stability of the drugs or substances inside the ampoules.

5. Sealing the ampoules: After the freeze-drying process is complete, the neck of each ampoule is sealed using a fusion sealing machine. The machine applies a strong flame to melt and seal the mouth of the ampoule, ensuring the contents remain isolated from the air. The flame sealing method is commonly used due to the inertness of glass materials and the reliability of this sealing technique.

By following these steps, the ampoules are prepared, freeze-dried, and sealed, providing long-term preservation for small amounts of drugs or high-purity medicines that require protection from the air.