Microparticles, microparticle dispersion and method and apparatus for producing the same

Abstract

A method and an apparatus enabling manufacture of a microparticle dispersion liquid at high efficiency in a short time while suppressing drug degradation, etc., are provided. In a dissolving step, a poorly soluble drug and a dispersion stabilizer are dissolved in a volatile organic solvent in a container. In a fixing step following the dissolving step, the organic solvent, contained in a solution, is eliminated by evaporation, a pellet-form residueis obtained by the organic solvent elimination, and the residueis fixed on an inner wall of the container. In a water injecting step following the fixing step, wateris injected into an interior of the container. In an irradiating step following the water injecting step, laser light, emitted from a laser light source, is irradiated on the residuefixed on the inner wall of the container, and the residueis thereby pulverized and made into microparticles and a microparticle dispersion liquid, constituted of the microparticles being dispersed in the water, is manufactured. The microparticles contain the poorly soluble drug and the dispersion stabilizer.