Arranging interaction and back pressure chambers for microfluidization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9700616-B2
Application number	US-201615076776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2016
Priority date	Dec 3, 2009
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

An improved method for the manufacture of an oil-in-water emulsion comprises using a microfluidisation device whose interaction chamber comprises a plurality of Z-type channels upstream of a back pressure chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microfluidization apparatus for microfluidizing a first oil-in-water emulsion to produce a second oil-in-water emulsion, said apparatus comprising an interaction chamber, at least one intensifier pump, and a back pressure chamber,
wherein:
the interaction chamber comprises a plurality of Z-type geometry channels,
the back pressure chamber comprises a plurality of fixed geometry channels and is located downstream of the interaction chamber, wherein said back pressure chamber is configured to reduce the average oil droplet size and/or the number of oil droplets with a size >1.2 μm in an emulsion that enters the back pressure chamber from the interaction chamber and exits from the back pressure chamber thereby producing the second emulsion; and
the oil-in-water emulsions comprise squalene and water.

2. The microfluidization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second emulsion has an average oil droplet size of 500 nm or less.

3. The microfluidization apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the oil-in-water emulsion further comprises polysorbate 80, and sorbitan trioleate.

4. The microfluidization apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interaction chamber provides a shear rate in excess of 1×10 6 s −1 .

5. The microfluidization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the emulsion components at the entrance to the interaction chamber is substantially constant for at least 85% of the time during which the emulsion is feed into the microfluidization apparatus.

Assignees

• Novartis Ag

Inventors

• Rueckl Harald
• Scheffczik Hanno

Classifications

• A61K2039/55555

  Liposomes; Vesicles, e.g. nanoparticles; Spheres, e.g. nanospheres; Polymers · CPC title

• A61K39/145

  Orthomyxoviridae, e.g. influenza virus · CPC title

• G01N33/48728

  Investigating individual cells, e.g. by patch clamp, voltage clamp (investigating individual particles in general G01N15/10) · CPC title

• A61K2039/55566

  Emulsions, e.g. Freund's adjuvant, MF59 · CPC title

• A61K39/39 Primary

  characterised by the immunostimulating additives, e.g. chemical adjuvants · CPC title