Warner-lambert Company

Fritz Wittwer

Ivan Tomka

Thomas Raible

Louis S Gillow

Hans-Ulrich Bodenmann

Jean P Mayer

Hans U Bodenmann

Louis Van Herle

Steven A Roberts

Jean-Philippe Mayer

Starch based formulations for processing under applied pressure which are particulate and free-flowing at room temperatures, characterized in that it contains:

Starch based formulations

A hard shell tamper-proof capsule having cylindrical, telescopically joinable, coaxial cap and body parts each having a side wall, an open end and a closed end, the cap and body being adapted to be mutually joined; characterized in that the body closed end has either a generally hemispheroidal, a pyramidical, a conical or a flat outside surface, and that the body side wall is totally enclosed within the cap side wall thereby exposing only the outside surface of the body closed end for gripping, which impedes separation of and tampering with the joined capsule. For additional security the tamper-proof capsule may be provided with locking means of circumferentially extending ridges or grooves. For further security the tamper-proof capsule may be provided with sealing means such as hot water, steam, or hot solutions or emulsions.

Tamper-proof capsules

A moldable non gelatin containing hydrophilic polymer composition containing between 5 and 25% water.

Molded hydrophilic polymer

Novel injection molded pharmaceutical capsules of gelatin having a cap member, a body member, means to form a plurality of compartments therein, and means for locking the cap and body members together to form a tamper-resistant connection.

Method for forming pharmaceutical capsules from hydrophilic polymers

Novel injection molded pharmaceutical capsules of starch having a cap member, a body member, means to form a plurality of compartments therein; and means for locking the cap and body members together to form a tamper-resistant connection.

Method for forming pharmaceutical capsules from starch compositions

Foam capsules with telescopically engaged body and cap portions, also known as hard shell capsules, having a special wall structure, obtained by a microdispersion of a gas in a gelatin solution. The capsule body and cap portions are formed by dipmolding the film-forming mixture obtained by a microdispersion of the gas in a gelatin solution; optionally with the inclusion of a plasticizer and/or coloring agent, and/or flavoring agent, and/or foam stabilizer, and/or gelatin extender. By a suitable choice of the gas proportion in the capsule wall and its micronization level, it is possible, within certain limits, to control the capsule wall disintegration speed and its opacity. In addition, inclusion of gas bubbles into the capsule wall lowers the gelatin content for a foam capsule and provides energy saving during the process due to a faster drying of the wall, thereby providing lower cost prices for the production of pharmaceutically acceptable capsules.

Foam capsules

Capsules and other shaped products formed from a moldable starch composition in an injection molding device is disclosed in the present invention. The composition comprising starch having a molecular mass range of 10,000 to 20,000,000 Dalton, and a water content range from 5 to 30% by weight. The starch contains about 0 to 100% of amylose, and about 100 to 0% of amylo-pectin.

Polymer composition for injection molding

Methods are disclosed for the sealing of gelatin capsules having coaxial cap and body parts which overlap when telescopically joined. Also described are apparatus and denaturation-melting point depression mixtures to seal the capsules.

Apparatus and method for sealing capsules

A moldable hydrophilic polymer composition, preferably gelatin, for use in an injection molding device preferably controlled with a microprocessor. The composition has a molecular mass range of 10,000 to 2,000,000 Dalton or a molecular mass range of 10,000 to 2,000,000 and 10,000,000 to 20,000,000 Dalton. The composition has a water content range from 5 to 25% percent by weight.

Hydrophilic polymer compositions for injection molding

Pharmaceutical capsule

Single piece capsules, produced, filled and sealed in a single operation, also known as soft shell capsules, having a special foam wall structure, obtained by a microdispersion of a gas in an aqueous mixture of dry gelatin and one or more plasticizers. The capsules are formed by processing, on soft shell capsule manufacturing machines, foamed ribbons, cast from a film forming mixture obtained by a microdispersion of a gas in an aqueous mixture of gelatin and one or more plasticizers; optionally with the inclusion of a coloring agent, an opacifying agent, a foam stabilizer, a gelatin extender, a preservative, a flavoring agent, a sweetening agent, or a drug. By a suitable choice of the gas proportion in the capsule wall and its microdispersion level, it is possible, within certain limits, to control the capsule wall disintegration speed and its opacity. Also, the inclusion of gas bubbles in the capsule wall decreases the gelatin material required for foam soft gelatin capsules and provides energy saving during production due to a faster drying of the capsule wall, thereby achieving lower costs for the production of said foam soft gelatin capsules over conventional soft gelatin capsules.

Foam soft gelatin capsules and their method of manufacture

A method of producing capsules of a moldable hydrophilic polymer composition, preferably gelatin, using a combination of an injection molding device with a microprocessor to precisely control the conditions of time, temperature, pressure and water content of the hydrophilic polymer composition, in a cyclic molding process.

Method for molding capsules

A hard shell capsule for the exact dosage of substances, especially for pharmaceutical use, having a body part and a cap part which is joinable with said body. The body part has a side wall, a closed end and an open end. The cap part is die-molded or extruded as a stopper directly into the open end of the body after the body has been filled, so as to seal the contents within the capsule.

Closing of filled capsules

Apparatus using a coherent mono-chromatic radiation source, preferably using a laser, for bonding capsule elements is disclosed. The systems described include means for providing a spot, short-line, or continuous seam. Also described are methods to enhance the bonding technique which utilize a small quantity of water or plasticol in the region to be bonded.

Methods are disclosed for the sealing of gelatin capsules having hard shell coaxial cap and body parts which overlap when telescopically joined. Also described are apparatus and sealing fluids to seal the capsules.

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Lupsingen, Switzerland

Fritz Wittwer