A facile microfluidic method for production of liposomes.

BACKGROUND: Ethanol injection is widely used in liposome preparation. However, the parameters determining particle size distribution of the liposomal preparation has not been fully defined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A syringe pump-driven microfluidic injection device was used to produce liposomes under different conditions. RESULTS: Particle size of the liposomes was decreased with decrease in needle diameter (or increase in hydrodynamic pressure), decrease in lipid concentration in the alcohol solution, decrease in phase transition temperature (T(m)) of the lipid bilayer and the absence of cholesterol (or decrease in, membrane rigidity). CONCLUSION: The device used is simple to adopt and can be used for affordable production of liposomes with tunable particle size.