Patent ID: 7150766

Claim:
A method for forming particles of a target substance, comprising: co-introducing into a particle formation vessel, the temperature and pressure in which are controlled, an anti-solvent fluid which is either a supercritical or a near-critical fluid, a first target substance in a first vehicle, and a second target substance in a second vehicle; and using the anti-solvent fluid to disperse the target substances in their respective vehicles and to extract the vehicles, substantially simultaneously and substantially immediately on introduction of the fluids into the particle formation vessel, wherein the second vehicle is immiscible with the first vehicle, and wherein contact between the first and second vehicles occurs a sufficiently short period of time before their dispersion by the anti-solvent fluid, and with sufficient physical mixing, as to allow only insignificant, if any, phase separation to occur between the two vehicles between their contact with one another and their dispersion, and wherein particle formation occurs upon extraction of the vehicles by the anti-solvent.