Paucilamellar lipid vesicles

Claim 1

A method of making paucilamellar lipid vesicles having a water immiscible oily material filling a substantial portion of the amorphous central cavity comprising the steps of: A. forming a lipid phase of a surfactant and any lipid soluble materials to be incorporated into said lipid vesicles, said surfactant being selected from a group consisting of polyoxyethylene fatty esters having the formula R.sub.1 --COO(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n H where R 1 is lauric, myristic, cetyl, stearic, or oleic acid, or their derivatives and n=2-10; polyoxyethylene fatty acid ethers, having the formula R.sub.2 --CO(C.sub.2 H.sub.4)).sub.m H where R 2 is lauric, myristic, or cetyl acids or their derivatives, single or double unsaturated octadecyl acids or their derivative, or double unsaturated eicodienoic acids or their derivatives and m ranges from 2-4; diethanolamides, having the formula (HOCH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCO--R.sub.3 where R 3 is caprylic, lauric, myristic or linoleic acids or their derivatives; long chain acyl hexosamides having the formula R.sub.4 --NHCO--(CH.sub.2).sub.3 --CH.sub.3 where b ranges from 10-18 and R 4 is a sugar molecule selected from a group consisting of glucosamine, glactosmaine, and N-methylglucamine; long chain acyl amino acid amides having the formula R.sub.5 --CH(COOH)--NHCO--(CH.sub.2).sub.c --CH.sub.3 where c ranges from 10-18 and R 5 is an amino acid side chain; long chain acyl amides having the formula HOOC--(CH.sub.2).sub.d --N(CH.sub.3)--(CH.sub.2).sub.3 --NHCO--R.sub.6 where R 6 is an acyl chain having 12-20 carbons and not more than two unsaturations, and d ranges from 1-3; polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan mono- or trioletate; polyoxyethylene glyceryl monosterate with 1-10 polyoxyethylene groups; and glycerol monosterate; B. forming an oily phase of water immiscible oily material and an oil-suspendable or oil-soluble material to be incorporated; C. forming a lipophilic phase by dispersing said oily phase in said lipid phase; D. forming an aqueous phase of an aqueous solution and any aqueous soluble material to be incorporated into said lipid vesicles; E. blending said lipophilic phase and said aqueous phase under shear mixing conditions thereby forming said paucilamellar lipid vesicles having about 2-8 exterior lipid bilayers surrounding a substantially amorphous center with said water immiscible oily material substantially filling said amorphous central cavity.

Claim 2

A method of making paucilamellar lipid vesicles having a water immiscible oily material filling a substantial portion of the amorphous central cavity comprising the steps of: A. forming a lipid phase of a surfactant and any lipid soluble materials to be incorporated into said lipid vesicles, said surfactant being selected from a group consisting of polyoxyethylene fatty esters having the formula R.sub.1 --COO(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n H where R 1 is lauric, myristic, cetyl, stearic, or oleic acid, or their derivatives and n=2-10; polyoxyethylene fatty acid ethers, having the formula R.sub.2 --CO(C.sub.2 H.sub.4)).sub.m H where R 2 is lauric, myristic, or cetyl acids or their derivatives, single or double unsaturated octadecyl acids or their derivative, or double unsaturated eicodienoic acids or their derivatives and m ranges from 2-4; diethanolamides, having the formula (HOCH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2).sub.2 NCO--R.sub.3 where R 3 is caprylic, lauric, myristic or linoleic acids or their derivatives; long chain acyl hexosamides having the formula R.sub.4 --NHCO--(CH.sub.2).sub.3 --CH.sub.3 where b ranges from 10-18 and R 4 is a sugar molecule selected from a group consisting of glucosamine, glactosmaine, and N-methylglucamine; long chain acyl amino acid amides having the formula R.sub.5 --CH(COOH)--NHCO--(CH.sub.2).sub.c --CH.sub.3 where c ranges from 10-18 and R 5 is an amino acid side chain; long chain acyl amides having the formula HOOC--(CH.sub.2).sub.d --N(CH.sub.3)--(CH.sub.2).sub.3 --NHCO--R.sub.6 where R 6 is an acyl chain having 12-20 carbons and not more than two unsaturations, and d ranges from 1-3; polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan mono- or trioletate; polyoxyethylene glyceryl monosterate with 1-10 polyoxyethylene groups; and glycerol monosterate; B. forming an oily phase of water immiscible oily material and an oil-suspendable or oil-soluble material to be incorporated; C. forming a lipophilic phase by dispersing said oily phase in said lipid phase; D. forming an aqueous phase of an aqueous solution and any aqueous soluble material to be incorporated into said lipid vesicles; E. blending said lipophilic phase and said aqueous phase under shear mixing conditions thereby forming said paucilamellar lipid vesicles having about 2-8 exterior lipid bilayers surrounding a substantially amorphous center with said water immiscible oily material substantially filling said amorphous central cavity.