Patent ID: 7751985

Claim:
A process for controllably producing silk particles comprising, deciding a desired particle size; setting parameters relating to production of said particles except an unknown parameter; calculating said unknown parameter using the algorithm y=C 0 +C 1 x 1 +C 2 x 2 +C 3 x 3 +C 4 x 4 +C 12 x 1 x 2 +C 13 x 1 x 3 +C 14 x 1 x 4 +C 23 x 2 x 3 +C 24 x 2 x 4 +C 34 x 3 x 4 +C 123 x 1 x 2 x 3 +C 124 x 1 x 2 x 4 +C 134 x 1 x 3 x 4 +C 234 x 2 x 3 x 4 +C 1234 x 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 where, y=particle size in nanometer x 1 =condition level of dissolution (from −1 to 1) x 2 =hydrolysis temperature in degree Celsius x 3 =hydrolysis duration in Minutes x 4 =concentration of cleaving agent in Molar C0 = 67.542 C1 = 2.458 C2 = 0.625 C3 = 1.792 C4 = 3.750 C12 = −5.375 C13 = 1.542 C14 = −2.000 C23 = 1.625 C24 = 4.500 C34 = −1.500 C123 = −4.708 C124 = 5.167 C134 = 4.917 C234 = −1.167 C1234 = −1.167; programming a system to produce said silk particles; dissolving silk protein powders in a solvent to form a solution; adding a cleaving agent to the solution; hydrolyzing said silk protein powders; and measuring said silk protein powders.