Methods for fine powder formation
AssigneePharmaceutical Discovery Corporation
InventorsRobert Feldstein, Solomon S. Steiner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved methods for forming fine particles of a material have been developed, wherein the method steps include dissolving the material in a solvent to form a dilute solution, immobilizing the dilution solution, and then removing the solvent to yield particles of the material. Methods of immobilizing the dilute solution include freezing, gelation, and chelation. In a preferred embodiment, the immobilized solvent is removed by lyophilization, i.e. reducing the ambient pressure while avoiding application of sufficient heat to power a phase transition. Essentially any material and solvent for the material can be used in the methods described herein. Proteins and peptides in an aqueous solvent are the preferred systems.
Claims6
A method of making fine particles of a therapeutic or diagnostic material consisting of
- (a) dissolving a therapeutic or diagnostic material in a solvent to form a dilute solution;
- (b) forming particles which are gelled or chelated;
- and
- (c) removing the solvent from the therapeutic or diagnostic material in the gelled or chelated particles, at a temperature sufficiently low not to cause a phase transition, effective to yield fine porous particles of the therapeutic or diagnostic material having a diameter between about 0.5 microns and about 10 microns.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.