Methods and systems for manufacturing a tablet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053798-B2
Application number	US-201514701218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems for manufacturing a tablet are generally provided. Certain embodiments comprise electrodepositing (e.g., electrospinning) a material (e.g., the tablet material, for example, within a fluid) onto a substrate. The substrate can be, for example, an elongated rod. In some such embodiments, after material has been electrodeposited onto the substrate, a die comprising a cavity and the substrate can be moved relative to each other such that the electrodeposited material is at least partially stripped from the substrate and/or at least partially deposited into the cavity of the die. Some embodiments comprise compressing the material in the cavity to form a tablet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrodeposition system for manufacturing a tablet, comprising:
a substrate having a first electric potential;
a source configured to contain a fluid, the source having a second electric potential different than the first electric potential;
an emitter associated with the source and configured to emit fluid contained within the source toward the substrate;
a die comprising a cavity and an opening, the die configured to strip material from an exterior surface of the substrate when the die and the substrate are moved relative to each other; and
an actuator associated with the substrate and/or the die and configured to move the die and the substrate relative to each other,
wherein the substrate can extend through the cavity and the opening of the die such that the die circumscribes the substrate when the die and the substrate are moved relative to each other by the actuator.

2. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises an elongated rod.

3. A system as in claim 1 , comprising a plunger that fits into the cavity of the die and a compaction actuator configured to move the plunger into and/or out of the cavity of the die.

4. A system as in claim 3 , wherein the plunger has an exterior surface that conforms to an interior surface of the cavity.

5. A system as in claim 3 , wherein the plunger is configured to apply a force of at least about 100 Newtons.

6. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the system comprises an electric potential generator electrically connected to the substrate and the source.

7. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the substrate has an exterior surface comprising protrusions.

8. A system as in claim 7 , wherein the protrusions of the exterior surface of the substrate are configured to mate with protrusions on an exposed surface of the die.

9. A system as in claim 7 , wherein the protrusions of the exterior surface of the substrate are substantially helical.

10. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the source comprises a reservoir.

11. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the source comprises a mixing rod.

12. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the cavity comprises a wall that facilitates the removal of the material from the substrate and the deposition of the material in the cavity.

13. A system as in claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional dimension of the opening is within 5% of a cross-sectional dimension of the substrate.

14. A system as in claim 1 , wherein an interior surface of the opening conforms to the exterior surface of the substrate.

15. A system as in claim 1 , wherein an average distance, during operation, between the exterior surface of the substrate and an interior surface of the opening is less than or equal to about 3 mm.

16. A system as in claim 1 , comprising a closing material configured to fill the opening of the die.

17. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the actuator is capable of both rotating the substrate and moving the substrate in a linear direction.

18. A system as in claim 1 , wherein the die circumscribes the substrate.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology
• Massachusetts Insititute Of Tech

Inventors

• Slocum Alexander H
• Sondej Nicholas M
• Trout Bernhardt Levy
• Rutledge Gregory C
• Bhattacharyya Indrani

Classifications

• D01D5/0076 Primary

  characterised by the collecting device, e.g. drum, wheel, endless belt, plate or grid (D01D5/0046 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B5/025

  Discharge apparatus, e.g. electrostatic spray guns · CPC title

• A61K9/2095

  Tabletting processes · CPC title

• A61J3/00

  Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms · CPC title

• A61J3/10

  into the form of compressed tablets (tablet presses B30B11/00) · CPC title