Patent ID: 8070467

Claim:
An apparatus for forming one or more polymeric spheres having a average diameter of between 0.01 and 10.0 microns, comprising: a) a polymer vessel for forming a solution of a polymer in a supercritical, critical or near critical fluid, said polymer vessel in fluid communication with an admixture vessel; b) an admixture vessel for receiving a polymer solution which polymer solution is a polymeric material dissolved in a first fluid, said first fluid consisting of a supercritical, critical or near critical fluid; c) an orifice nozzle in communication with said admixture vessel for receiving said polymer solution; and, d) a depressurization vessel containing a low solubility fluid in communication with said orifice nozzle for receiving a stream of polymer solution as said polymer solution exits one or more orifices in the presence of said low solubility fluid, said low solubility fluid having low volatility and said polymeric material is a concentration which exceeds said solubility of said polymeric material in said low solubility fluid, said polymeric material forming spheres having an average diameter of 0.01 to 10.0 microns and said first fluid removed during depressurization.