Patent ID: 9402788
Filing Date: 2016-08-02
CPC Classification: A61J,A61K,A61P,B01J,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. An extrusion process comprising the steps of: extruding a material that is flowable when heated; introducing a gelling agent to the extruded material such that the gelling and non-gelling components of the resultant mix are mixed through one another to form a mixed extrudate and passing the mixed extrudate through a nozzle to shape the mixed extrudate into a plurality of minispheres or minicapsules; wherein the nozzle is an apparatus having more than one inlet port; and wherein: the extruded material is delivered into a first inlet port of the apparatus and the gelling agent is introduced to the extruded material through a second inlet port of the apparatus; and wherein the gelling agent and the extruded material entering the first and second inlet ports are at different temperatures; and wherein a vibrational force is applied to the nozzle as the extrudate is passed through the nozzle, the process further comprising cooling the minispheres or minicapsules in a cooling gas or a cooling liquid.