Microparticles

• US 6,669,961 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of University of Llinois
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Inventors: Berkland, Cory, Kim, Kyekyoon, Pack, Daniel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartley, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): George, Konata M
• Application Number:
  US09/931,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 424/400, 424/489, 424/490
• US Class Current: 424/489
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/1647 Polyesters, e.g. poly(lactide-co-glycolide)
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/1694 resulting in granules or microspheres of the matrix type containing more than 5% of excipient
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/5031 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. polyethylene glycol, poly(lactide-co-glycolide)
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/5089 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/5153 Polyesters, e.g. poly(lactide-co-glycolide)
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/5192 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 13/04 by physical processes, e.g. drying, spraying
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/906 Drug delivery

Abstract

A method of forming particles comprises accelerating a stream comprising a liquid; and vibrating the stream, to form particles. The particle may have a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the nozzle used to form the stream, allowing for the formation of micro- and nano-sized particle.

Claims

1. A method of forming particles, comprising:

accelerating a first stream comprising a first liquid; and

vibrating the first stream, to form particles;

wherein the particles have an average diameter of at most 100 μ

m.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising solidifying the particles.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles comprise a core and a shell.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the particles comprise a plurality of shells.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles comprise a pharmaceutical composition.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the core comprises a pharmaceutical composition.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the accelerating comprises contacting the first stream with a second stream, and

the second stream comprises a second liquid.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second stream surrounds the first stream.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the accelerating comprises applying charge to the first stream.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein

a second stream comprising a second liquid surrounding the first stream, and

the accelerating further comprises accelerating the second stream.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the particles comprise a core and a shell.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the particles comprise a plurality of shells.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the first stream by passing the first liquid through a nozzle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the nozzle has a diameter greater than ½

an average diameter of the particles.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the nozzle has a diameter at least the average diameter.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles have an average diameter of at most 50 μ

m.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 10 nm to 50 μ

m.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 1 μ

m to 50 μ

m.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 50 to 100 Ξ

m, and 90% of the particles have a diameter that is within 2% of an average diameter of the particles.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 1 to 50 μ

m, and 90% of the particles have a diameter that is within 1 μ

m of an average diameter of the particles.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein

the accelerating is a step for accelerating the first stream, and

the vibrating is a step for vibrating the first stream.

29. Particles, prepared by the method of claim 19.

30. Particles, prepared by the method of claim 20.

22. A method of forming particles, comprising:

accelerating a first stream comprising a first liquid;

wherein the accelerating comprises applying charge to the first stream, and

the particles comprise a core and a shell.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising solidifying the particles.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the particles comprise a plurality of shells.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the particles comprise a pharmaceutical composition.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising forming the first stream by passing the first liquid through a nozzle, and

wherein the nozzle has a diameter at least ½ the average diameter of the particles.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the particles have an average diameter of at most 100 μ

m.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 10 nm to 50 μ

m.

31. A method of forming particles, comprising:

accelerating a first stream comprising a first liquid into a surrounding liquid; and

vibrating the first stream, to form particles.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising solidifying the particles.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the particles comprise a core and a shell.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the particles comprise a plurality of shells.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the particles comprise a pharmaceutical composition.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the core comprises a pharmaceutical composition.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the accelerating comprises contacting the first stream with a second stream, and

the second stream comprises a second liquid.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the second stream surrounds the first stream.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the accelerating comprises applying charge to the first stream.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein

a second stream comprising a second liquid surrounding the first stream, and

the accelerating further comprises accelerating the second stream.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the particles comprise a core and a shell.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the particles comprise a plurality of shells.

43. The method of claim 31, further comprising forming the first stream by passing the first liquid through a nozzle.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the nozzle has a diameter greater than ½

an average diameter of the particles.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the nozzle has a diameter at least the average diameter of the particles.

46. The method of claim 31, wherein the particles have an average diameter of at most 100 μ

m.

47. The method of claim 31, wherein the particles have an average diameter of at most 50 μ

m.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 10 nm to 50 μ

m.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 1 μ

m to 50 μ

m.

50. The method of claim 31, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 50 to 100 μ

m, and 90% of the particles have a diameter that is within 2% of an average diameter of the particles.

51. The method of claim 31, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 1 to 50 μ

m, and 90% of the particles have a diameter that is within 1 μ

m of an average diameter of the particles.

52. The method of claim 31, wherein

the accelerating is a step for accelerating the first stream, and

the vibrating is a step for vibrating the first stream.

53. A method of forming particles, comprising:

accelerating a first stream comprising a first liquid into a surrounding liquid;

wherein the accelerating comprises applying charge to the first stream, and

the particles comprise a core and a shell.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising solidifying the particles.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the particles comprise a plurality of shells.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein the particles comprise a pharmaceutical composition.

57. The method of claim 53, further comprising forming the first stream by passing the first liquid through a nozzle, and

wherein the nozzle has a diameter at least ½ the average diameter of the particles.

58. The method of claim 53, wherein the particles have an average diameter of at most 100 μ

m.

59. The method of claim 53, wherein the particles have an average diameter of 10 nm to 50 μ

m.