Nanoparticle fabrication methods, systems, and materials
Inventors
Rothrock, Ginger D. • Maynor, Benjamin W.
Assignees
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • Liquidia Technologies Inc
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Publication Number
US-8685461-B2
Publication Date
2014-04-01
Expiration Date
Abstract
Nanosized particles are molded from granules of organic substances in nano-scale molds. The nano-scale molds can be fabricated from non-wetting, low surface energy polymeric materials. The nanosized particles can be virtually any shape, are typically less than 500 micrometers in a broadest dimension, and can include pharmaceutical compositions, biologic drugs, drug compositions, organic materials, and the like.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to fabricating nanosized particles by using a mold cavity that has a predetermined shape and a broadest dimension less than about 500 μm. A solid substance is introduced into the cavity, and a particle is formed in the cavity so that the particle substantially mimics the shape of the cavity. The particle is then removed from the cavity.
The described fabrication approach uses micro/nanosized mold features formed from non-wetting, low-surface-energy polymeric mold materials. Fluorinated elastomers are described as mold materials, including PFPE and Fluorocur and related fluorinated polymeric mold materials, to enable forming particles with a substantially cavity-mimicking shape and nanoscale ranges specified in the description.
The document describes fabricating particles from solid substances including pharmaceutical compositions and other solid organic/inorganic substances. It also describes post-molding processing associated with particle formation and/or after removal, including dissolving or partially dissolving, recrystallization, curing, crosslinking, crystallization, precipitation, etching, and purification or harvesting approaches.
Claims Coverage
The provided claims coverage includes one independent claim covering a method of fabricating a nanosized particle, with dependent claims refining the solid substance, mold material, forming processes, and optional post-removal processing.
Mold cavity shaped nanosized particle formation
Introducing a solid substance to a cavity defined in a mold, wherein the cavity comprises a predetermined shape and has a broadest dimension less than about 500 μm; forming a particle from the solid substance in the cavity, wherein the particle substantially mimics a shape of the cavity; and removing the particle from the cavity.
Solid substance including a drug component
The solid substance includes a drug component.
Solid substance selected from drug, biologic, virus, binder, or combinations
Selecting the solid substance from pharmaceutical, active agent, drug, biologic molecule, virus, binder, or combinations thereof.
Fluoropolymer mold
Forming the mold from a fluoropolymer.
Specified forming processes for particle formation
Forming includes one or more specified processes such as dissolving, melting, sintering, chemical treatment, phase change induction, cross-linking, crystallization, precipitation, evaporation, cooling, heating, oxidation, reduction, photo-curing, thermal curing, and recrystallization.
Post-removal processing of particles using specified steps
Processing a particle after removing material or applying one or more specified processing steps such as increasing surface area, increasing purity, etching, partial dissolution, physical processing, heating, cooling, chemical processing, evaporation, reduction, or extraction.
Coverage centers on forming a nanosized particle inside a predetermined-shape mold cavity with a broadest dimension less than about 500 μm, where the particle substantially mimics the cavity shape, followed by removing the particle. Dependent refinements specify drug, biologic, virus, or binder-containing solid substances, fluoropolymer molds, selectable forming mechanisms, and optional post-removal processing including etching and partial dissolution.
Stated Advantages
Enables forming particles that substantially mimic the shape of the mold cavity with nanosized dimensions (broadest dimension less than about 500 μm).
Documented Applications
Fabricating drug particles using recrystallization in fluorinated polymeric molds.
Fabricating inorganic metal particles by coalescing metal grains and related settling or coalescence approaches.
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