An apparatus for forming composite pellets containing active ingredients of the pharmaceutical type and/or nutritional complements or cosmetics, encapsulated in encapsulating material for the controlled release of the active ingredient in the treatment of humans or animals, the apparatus comprising:
- a station for producing substantially solid granules;
- flow generating means that receive the granules from the production station and generate at least one flow of the granules along a route from an emission area to a collection area;
- at least one generator of at least one jet of a first heated gaseous fluid and at least one conduit for conveying the jet of the first heated gaseous fluid communicating with the emission area and leading the jet to interact with the flow of granules for at least one first segment of the route so as to heat the granules in flight to at least a first temperature and confer on the granules the form of pellets;
- means for collecting the pellets at the collection area;
- and wherein
- the station is designed to produce substantially solid composite granules, containing predetermined percentage weights of at least one encapsulating material and at least one active ingredient, mixed together in substantially homogeneous fashion;
- the flow generating means comprise at least one conduit used for the outfeed of the flow of granules into the emission area and being substantially coaxial with the first segment of the route;
- the conveying conduit concurring from at least two opposite sides on the conduit for outfeed into the emission area according to a predetermined angle to convey the jet of the first heated gaseous fluid onto the flow of the granules, in such a way that, starting from the emission area, the jet of the first heated gaseous fluid encloses the flow of the granules on at least two opposite sides and in a substantially laminar fashion for at least one first fraction of the first segment of the route, the jet of the first heated gaseous fluid and the flow of the granules keeping a substantially common direction of motion along the first fraction of the first segment of the route, said common direction of motion substantially coinciding with the direction of the first fraction of the first segment of the route, the jet of the first heated gaseous fluid tending to trap within it the flow of the granules, so as to minimize the risk of prolonged contact of the granules with heated surfaces of the apparatus and to improve the efficiency of heat transfer, the first temperature being high enough to melt at least a portion of encapsulating material located at the surface of each granule, this portion of encapsulating material spreading on the surface of each granule to form a substantially uniform surface layer so as to confer on the granules the form of pellets.