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How can the microwave oven, one of the most iconic and prolific kitchen appliances, address the looming supply shortages for our most important and life-saving pharmaceutical products? This is exactly the question two of our founders, Alina and Dimitri, started asking each other in 2016[ADS1] . As a faculty member at Purdue University and co-founder of LyoHub, Alina developed an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for freeze-drying, a popular manufacturing technique used to extend the shelf life of sensitive pharmaceuticals from days to years. This process, though highly effective, is slow, inefficient, and expensive. A single batch of material often takes several days to complete, costing millions of dollars and delaying the distribution of critical medications to patients in need. The growing popularity of biologics and cutting-edge vaccine technologies are exacerbating the problem. Today, 20% of all new FDA-approved pharmaceutical products rely on this process, twice the ratio reported only a decade ago. Of those already on the market, around 15% are currently experiencing a shortage.
Realizing the opportunity, Dimitri, a Purdue faculty member in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering researching radiofrequency communications, came up with an idea. Scrapping together some equipment from the lab, the founders developed their first prototype microwave heating system. The device was an amalgam of stepper motors, antennas, and mechanical stirring elements made from roof flashing from the local hardware store assembled into a system the size of a shoe box. Although crude, the prototype not only worked, but exceeded expectations. At this moment, LyoWave was born.
Today, the LyoWave team is addressing the shortcomings of conventional freeze-drying using our proprietary high-frequency microwave heating technology. Our products are retrofittable to new and existing freeze-dryers, allowing scientists and engineers to transform their existing workflows in minutes. This ultimately enables materials to be produced more quickly, efficiently, and with greater consistency. At LyoWave, we offer our customers
The Power to Preserve The Future.