Other

Kuraray Co., Ltd.

National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Japan, as Represented by Director of National Food Research Institute,

Nakajima, Mitsutoshi

Mitsutoshi Nakajima

Yuji Kikuchi

Hiroshi Nabetani

Takahiro Kawakatsu

Isao Kobayashi

Motohiro Fukuda

Taiji Nishi

Sosaku Ichikawa

Minoru Seki

Hiroyuki Fujita

Takenori Kitani

Seiichi Kanai

Hideaki Komori

Toshikuni Yonemoto

Hironoshin Takao

Yoh Sano

Qing Yi Xu

Tatsuo Maruyama

Jihong Tong

Shinji Sugiura

Christophe Largueze

Taiji c/o Kuraray Co Ltd Nishi

Takenori c/o Kuraray Co Ltd Kitani

Motohiro c/o Kuraray Co Ltd Fukuda

Seiichi c/o Kuraray Co Ltd Kanai

An object of the present invention is to provide a process for producing microspheres that are solid microparticles or liquid microparticles for use as an emulsion employed in the food industry, production of medicine and cosmetic etc. or an emulsion for DDS (drug delivery system). The object is attained by a process for producing a microsphere including: separating a disperse phase from a continuous phase by a substratehaving a through-hole; and extruding the disperse phase into the continuous phase through the through-hole, in which the substrate having the through-holewith a width of 0.5 to 500 &#x3bc;m, a depth of 10 &#x3bc;m to 6000 &#x3bc;m and a ratio of the width to the depth of the through-holeof 1 to 1/30 is a metal substrate.

Process for producing microsphere with use of metal substrate having through-hole

A microchannel array according to the present invention includes a first substrate, and a second substratebonded to the first substrate. Two sets, that is, a set of a first through-hole, a first recess, and a first grooveand a set of a second through-hole, a second recess, and a second grooveare formed on the first substrate. The different sets are separated by a partition. A cell differentation/proliferation speed after micro-injection can be increased by using such microchannel array.

Microchannel array

A method and an apparatus are provided for efficiently manufacturing microspheres having a uniform particle diameter. The apparatus comprises: case having a lower body and an upper body . A seal ring a first plate which is comprised of a transparent plate such as a glass plate or a plastic plate, an annular spacer an intermediate plate which is comprised of a silicon substrate or the like, an annular spacer a second plate and a seal ring are inserted in this order into a concave portion formed in the lower body . The upper body is superposed thereon. Further, the upper body is attached to the lower body with bolts or the like.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing microspheres

According to the present invention, it is possible to produce emulsions containing a material that are insoluble or that have low solubility with respect to water and oil in a high concentration, so as to obtain emulsions which can be preserved for a long period of time. More specifically, ethanol, to which polyglycerol oleic acid ester (PG) is added, and vegetable oil, are stirred with a homogenizer or an emulsification method such as a membrane emulsification or a microchannel emulsification, thereby obtaining E/O type emulsions or E/O/W type emulsions wherein ethanol drops in which polyphenol is dissolved in a high concentration are dispersed into vegetable oil.

Functional emulsions

A method is disclosed for activating a lipase by adding a solution of lipase in an aqueous buffer at a pH near neutrality to an organic phase, e.g., tetradecane. Under these conditions lipase is activated as a function of an organic-and-water boundary surface between the organic and water phases. The lipase that is activated in this manner remains active even after lyophilization to remove the water and the organic phase. This activated lipase efficiently catalyzes a fat reforming reaction in non-aqueous and nano-aqueous conditions.

Method of producing activated lipase

A method to efficiently and continuously produce microspheres of natural oils and fats having a high melting point, the average particle diameter of which is in dozens of &mgr;m and is uniform, comprising the steps of heating oils and fats having a high melting point to a temperature greater than the melting point thereof to liquify same holding the oils and fats in a liquid state, forming a dispersed phase of the liquid oils and fats, pressurizing the dispersed phase and forming emulsions by dispersing the dispersed phase into a continuous phase via a plurality of microchannels, and isolating microspheres of the oils and fats having a high melting point by removing the continuous phase from the emulsions.

Method of producing solid fatty microspheres

A microchannel apparatus includes a plural partition walls,formed as extensions of plural microchannels,toward a continuous phase, and a flow path,is formed between adjacent ones of the partition walls,. A dispersed phase pumped into a continuous phase via each microchannel,generates nearly perfect spheres in the course of passing through the microchannel and the flow path,in between the partition walls,, thereby producing emulsions comprising fine and homogenous microspheres.

Microchannel apparatus and method of producing emulsions making use thereof

Cross-flow microchannel apparatus for producing emulsions includes a pump,and a pump,which are driven to respectively supply a continuous phase to a concave portion,via a supply pipe,, a supply hole,and a supply port,and a dispersed phase to a space between the outside of a base,and the inside of a concave portion,formed in a case,via a supply pipe,and a supply hole,. Then, by applying a predetermined pressure to the dispersed phase, the dispersed phase is formed into fine particles via a microchannels,and mixed with the continuous phase, thereby forming emulsions. The emulsions are withdrawn to a tank and so on via a withdrawal port,, a withdrawal hole,, and a withdrawal pipe,for emulsions. The apparatus can alternatively be used to separate an emulsion by pumping the emulsion within the concave portion,via pipe,, hole,and port,, such that the emulsion is separated via the microchannels,into a continuous phase that is withdrawn from the hole,, and a dispersed phase that is withdrawn from the hole

Cross-flow microchannel apparatus and method of producing or separating emulsions making use thereof

In an apparatus for continuously manufacturing microspheres, a dispersed phase (O) is supplied to a chamber,for the dispersed phase inside of a bulkhead member,via a supply port,. Thereafter, the dispersed phase enters into a gap,between a plate,via a supply port,in a base,. The dispersed phase which enters into the gap,grows microspheres (particles) having a certain diameter while passing through a microchannel,by pressure applied by, for example, a pump, and is mixed with a continuous phase (W), so that microspheres are produced. The thus-produced microspheres float or are suspended in the continuous phase without needing any particular external force in response to their specific gravity, allowing the microspheres to be generated and withdrawn from a withdrawal port 32 at a significantly reduced pressure in comparison to conventional methods and apparatus.

Continuous manufacturing method for microspheres and apparatus

Method and device for producing emulsions

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Ibaraki, Japan

Mitsutoshi Nakajima