Patent ID: 7200493

Claim:
A method for screening nucleation tendency or amorphous stage conditions comprising: (a) levitating at least one droplet of a fluid in an ultrasound acoustic levitator, (b) delivering at least one substance to said at least one levitating droplet with a dispenser for delivering said at least one substance, (c) detecting the nucleation tendency by multi-angle light scattering in combination with Raman spectroscopy to obtain a quantitative measurement of turbidity, precipitate, and/or aggregate formation in said at least one droplet, wherein said at least one levitating droplet is subjected to either droplet evaporation or addition of precipitants and utilization of vibration-induced streaming caused by ultrasound to further the turbidity, precipitate, and/or aggregate formation in said at least one levitating droplet, and (d) scoring the nucleation tendency.