Rapid high precision microencapsulation for controlled release

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Scientists at the University of Oxford have developed a technique that can be used in the pharmaceutical and food industries to encapsulate a wide range of molecules for controlled delivery. The method ensures the production of a complex multi-layered system avoiding the limitations of both conventional manufacturing methods and standard microfluidic approaches. The method is characterised using a high degree of control over production parameters and physical-chemical characteristics of the produced particles while offering flexibility to tailor to the specific release kinetics needed. The technology can be particularly advantageous in industry to enable the production of more complex drug delayed delivery systems.

Current methods to encapsulate substances such as drugs and cosmetics include the formation of double emulsions. A double emulsion, droplets of a dispersed phase, contain one or more types of smaller dispersed droplets within themselves. This technique has many drawbacks, including the formation of microparticles with a broad size variation, inconsistent loading, and prolonged exposure to organic solvents.

Furthermore, the existing techniques lack precise control over physical characteristics (e.g. core size, particle size thickness etc. ) all of which are important for controlled release systems.
The Oxford team has sought to address the problems by developing a method to produce hydrogel beads with a more homogeneous and reproducible size range, excellent encapsulation efficiency and the ability to tailor release kinetics on-demand with relative ease. Although this technology is particularly suited to drug delivery, it has application in other industrial encapsulation processes

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