Static Mixer Nanocarrier Process for Stable Particle Morphology
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processes for producing nanocarriers, particularly lipid nanoparticles, face issues with particle instability and agglomeration under acidic conditions, leading to poor encapsulation efficiency and loss of active ingredients.
Innovation Solution
A static mixer apparatus is used to mix a first and second liquid phase without a third phase, followed by instantaneous dilution with the third phase, creating a longitudinal mixing section within a linear pipe to stabilize the primary mixture, ensuring improved particle morphology and homogeneity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nanocarriers are produced by mixing components in liquid media using conventional impingement mixers or microfluidic mixers, then the production process can be carried out, but the particles become unstable and agglomerate under acidic conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-mixing the first and second liquid phases in a static mixer to create a stable primary mixture before introducing the third phase. This preliminary mixing ensures that the nanocarrier components are properly combined and stabilized before the final formulation step, preventing agglomeration when acidic conditions are introduced later in the process.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing process is segmented into distinct stages: first, the static mixer combines the first and second liquid phases to form a primary mixture; second, the longitudinal mixing section introduces the third phase to create the final nanocarrier formulation. This segmentation allows each mixing stage to be optimized independently, ensuring particle stability throughout the process.
2Productivity
If conventional mixing methods are used to produce nanocarriers, then the process can be simplified, but the encapsulation efficiency is poor and active ingredients are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The static mixer performs preliminary action by thoroughly combining the first and second liquid phases containing the active ingredient and nanocarrier components before the third phase is introduced. This ensures maximum encapsulation efficiency by guaranteeing that the active ingredient is properly incorporated into the nanocarrier structure before final formulation, minimizing active ingredient loss.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the third phase is introduced immediately with the first and second phases in conventional mixers, then mixing can occur, but particle homogeneity and morphology are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing process is divided into two distinct segments: the static mixer combines only the first and second liquid phases to form a homogeneous primary mixture, and then the longitudinal mixing section introduces the third phase. This segmentation ensures that particle homogeneity is achieved in the first stage while particle morphology is preserved in the second stage, preventing the compromises that occur when all phases are mixed simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The static mixer performs preliminary mixing of the first and second phases to establish a homogeneous base mixture before the third phase is introduced. This preliminary action ensures that the nanocarrier components are uniformly distributed, which maintains particle homogeneity and prevents morphology degradation when the third phase is subsequently added.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process achieves stabilized nanocarriers with enhanced encapsulation efficiency and consistent particle size distribution, preventing agglomeration and maintaining particle stability during storage.
Implementation Method 1
The mixing results in physical interactions between the individual substances or precursors to form the nanocarrier
Implementation Method 2
The mixing results in physical interactions between the individual components to form the nanoformulation
Data Source
AI summary
Present invention relates to an apparatus (0) for producing nanocarriers and/or nanoformulation and a process for producing a nanocarrier and/or a nanoformulation by means of this apparatus (0). According to inventive preparation, a first liquid phase (A) and the second liquid phase (B) are mixed first to give the primary mixture (A+B) by means of a static mixer (4). In a subsequence mixing step primary mixture (A+B) is diluted with a third liquid (C). An important aspect of apparatus (0) is the arrangement of the static mixer (4) inside a linear pipe (7) conducting third liquid phase (C). Thus, the primary mixture (A+B) exiting the mixer (4) is instantaneously diluted with (C) to give secondary mixture (A+B+C). The volume flow of the third mixture (C) is chosen larger than the volume flow of the primary mixture (A+B). By these measures, nanocarriers with improved morphology and homogeneity are produced. Encapsulation efficiency was enhanced as well.