EP0167690A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Droplet generation
Assignee: Sanofi Pasteur Ltd
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Filing: 1984-08-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-08-08
Abstract
Abstract Perfectly spherical, smooth and uniform microcapsules. which may contain living cells, are produced having a diameter less than 700 µm by employing an electrostatic droplet generator. A droplet is suspended from a pointed source, such as a needle, and is charged with high static voltage. A collecting vessel or ring device is charged with opposing polarity and attracts the droplet. When a voltage potential threshold is passed, the droplet moves from the source to the collecting vessel. The voltage pulse height, pulse frequency and length, and extrusion rate of the droplet are adjustable so that predetermined sizes of droplets may be repeatedly generated and collected.
Inventors
- 👤 Martin Hommel
- 👤 Anthony Mein-Fang Sun
- 👤 Mattheus Florentius Albertus Goosen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 00:12
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61K; A61K9/00; A61K9/14; A61K9/16; A61K9/1682; A61K9/1694; A61K9/1605; A61K9/1629; A61K9/1652; A61K9/48; A61K9/50; A61K9/5073; B; B01; B01J; B01J13/00; B01J13/02; B01J13/04; B01J13/06; B01J13/08; B01J2/00; B01J2/02; B01J2/06; B01J2/08; G; G01; G01N; G01N15/00; G01N15/10; G01N15/14; G01N15/149
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
29 words
Spherical, smooth and uniform microcapsules suitable for cardiovascular injection into an animal body, characterized by a diameter of less than about 700 um and containing living tissue or cells.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
29 words
Spherical, smooth and uniform microcapsules suitable for cardiovascular injection into an animal body, characterized by a diameter of less than about 700 um and containing living tissue or cells.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The microcapsules claimed in claim 1 having a diameter of about 150 to about 500 um.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The microcapsules claimed in claim 1 or 2 composed of a biocompatible semi-permeable membrane encapsulating a core of living tissue or cells.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The microcapsules claimed in claim 3 characterized in that the living tissue comprises islets of Langerhans.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The microcapsules claimed in claim 4 characterized in that the islets are entrapped within a reliquifiable reversible gel material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The microcapsules claimed in claim 5 characterized in that the reversible gel material is calcium alginate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The microcapsules claimed in claim 4 characterized in that the islets are entrapped within reliquified gel material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The microcapsules claimed in claim 7 characterized in that reliquified gel material is aqueous sodium alginate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
74 words
The microcapsules claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by a core comprising one or more viable, healthy, physiologically-active tissue cells capable of on-going metabolism and an aqueous medium of nutrients sufficient to maintain the tissue cells and allow normal metabolism thereof, and a biocompatible semi-permeable membrane surrounding and enclosing the core and being permeable to tissue nutrients and metabolic products produced by the tissue but impermeable to immune system proteins.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The microcapsules claimed in claim 9 characterized in that the membrane has a thickness of about 4 to about 6 microns.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of droplet formation, characterized by the steps of (a) extruding a droplet-forming liquid downwardly from a source at a first location, (b) charging the extruded material with a charge of one polarity, (c) establishing a charge of opposite polarity at a second location spaced vertically below the first location, and (d) providing a difference in voltage between the first and second locations sufficient to form a liquid droplet from the extruded material and draw the same towards the second location.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of droplet formation, characterized by the steps of (a) extruding a droplet-forming liquid downwardly from a source at a first location, (b) charging the extruded material with a charge of one polarity, (c) establishing a charge of opposite polarity at a second location spaced vertically below the first location, and (d) providing a difference in voltage between the first and second locations sufficient to form a liquid droplet from the extruded material and draw the same towards the second location.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method claimed in claim 11 characterized in that the first location comprises an axially-downwardly directed electroconductive needle, the second location comprises a recipient medium in which the formed droplets are collected, and the recipient medium -comprises a hardening solution to form discrete microcapsules from the formed droplets therein.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method claimed in claim 11 characterized in that the first location comprises an axially-downwardly directed electroconductive needle, second location comprises a ring of electroconductive material surrounding the axis of the needle and being concentric with the axis, a recipient medium is located below the second location to receive and collect the formed droplets therein, and the recipient medium comprises a hardening solution to form discrete microcapsules from the formed droplets therein.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
36 words
The method claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the voltage difference for droplet formation is applied cyclically in pulses to continuously-extruded droplet-forming liquid to effect continuous production of drop ets.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the pulse voltage is from about 1 to about 25 KV, the pulse frequency is about 10 to about 100 sec and the pulse duration is about 1 to about 6 m.sec.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
94 words
Apparatus for droplet formation, characterized by (a) electroconductive extrusion means for extruding a droplet-forming liquid downwardly from a source thereof, (b) means for applying a static electric charge of one polarity to the extrusion means so as to charge the extruded material, (c) means for applying a static electric charge of opposite polarity to an electrcconductive body located below the electroconductive extrusion means, and (d) means for varying the voltage between the electroconductive extrusion means and the electroconductive body to exert a discrete droplet-forming force on the droplet-forming liquid extruded from the extrusion means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
94 words
Apparatus for droplet formation, characterized by (a) electroconductive extrusion means for extruding a droplet-forming liquid downwardly from a source thereof, (b) means for applying a static electric charge of one polarity to the extrusion means so as to charge the extruded material, (c) means for applying a static electric charge of opposite polarity to an electrcconductive body located below the electroconductive extrusion means, and (d) means for varying the voltage between the electroconductive extrusion means and the electroconductive body to exert a discrete droplet-forming force on the droplet-forming liquid extruded from the extrusion means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the extrusion means comprises a needle and the electroconductive body comprises a recipient medium for collecting the discrete droplets.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the extrusion means comprises a needle and the electroconductive body comprises an electroccnductive annular member surrounding the axis of the needle and being concentric therewith.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
36 words
The apparatus claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that the means for varying the voltage comprises voltage pulse generating means for generating continuous voltage pulse above a predetermined threshold voltage level.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus claimed in claim 19, characterized in that the voltage pulse generating means is capable of a pulse voltage of about 1 to about 25 KV, a pulse frequency of about 10 to about 100 sec -1 and a pulse duration of about 1 to about 6 m.secs.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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