Patent ID: 6060084
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: A61K,A61Q,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for encapsulating or coating a core material with a shell material to provide a core containment system from which leaching of the core material is prevented or controlled, said method comprising the steps of:(1) providing a shell material having a softening temperature above about 70.degree. F.;(2) heating said shell material to a temperature at or above the softening temperature of said shell material;(3) adding an oil to the molten shell material, said oil being compatible with said shell material but not a solvent for the shell material in the solid state;(4) uniformly dispersing a core material in the molten, oil-containing shell material;(5) subdividing said molten, oil-containing shell material having said core material dispersed therein into individual droplets of a predetermined size by spraying the molten oil-containing shell material having said core material dispersed therein into a cooled atmosphere at a temperature below which the droplets solidify to obtain a plurality of particles of encapsulated or coated core material; and(6) recovering said particles of encapsulated or coated core material, wherein said containment system comprises about 65 to 95 wt % shell material, about 3 to 30 wt % oil, and about 0.3 to 3.0 wt % core material.