Franz cells are laboratory devices primarily used to measure how well substances permeate through a membrane, such as skin. They're essential tools in various scientific fields for testing the absorption and release of materials, particularly in dermatology and pharmaceutical research.
How Franz Cells Work
A Franz cell consists of two compartments: a donor compartment and a receptor compartment, separated by a membrane. The substance being tested is placed in the donor compartment, and a receiving fluid is in the receptor compartment. The membrane simulates a biological barrier like skin. Over time, the substance diffuses across the membrane into the receptor compartment, and the amount that passes is measured. This process helps determine the rate and extent of permeation.
- Donor Compartment: Holds the sample (e.g., cream, gel, patch) whose permeation is being studied.
- Receptor Compartment: Contains a fluid (e.g., buffer solution) which collects the substance that permeates through the membrane.
- Membrane: A crucial component that sits between the donor and receptor compartments, often mimicking skin or another biological barrier. Synthetic membranes are commonly used to control quality and standardization in studies. This is supported by findings in "A Comparative Study of Transmembrane Diffusion and Permeation..."
Different types of Franz cells exist, varying in size (e.g., 9mm, 15mm orifice diameter), whether they are jacketed (temperature-controlled) or unjacketed, and the material used for construction (e.g., glass). PermeGear offers various Franz cells, including "The Original" with a 9mm orifice. Some are even 3D-printed for cost-effectiveness and customization. As demonstrated in "3D-printed Franz type diffusion cells".
Applications of Franz Cells
Franz cells are widely used for:
- In-vitro drug release studies: Assessing how quickly a drug is released from a formulation (e.g., creams, gels, patches). As detailed in "Franz Diffusion Cell Approach for Pre-Formulation Characterisation..."
- Ex-vivo skin permeation studies: Determining the penetration of substances through skin samples. This is explicitly stated in "Franz diffusion cell and its implication in skin permeation studies" and multiple other sources.
- Biosensor evaluation: Testing the performance of biosensors in vitro. As shown in "Franz cells for facile biosensor evaluation: A case of HRP/SWCNT..."
- Comparing different methods: Evaluating the efficacy of various approaches to assessing absorption, such as comparing Franz cells to microdialysis. As explored in "Comparison of Franz cells and microdialysis for assessing salicylic..."
