A method for preparing solid microcapsules, comprising the steps of adding under agitation a composition C1 comprising at least one active material to a cross-linkable liquid composition C2, the active material is not an additive to be used in the lubricant, fuel or bitumen industries, drilling sludges or muds, or oil exploration/production, compositions C1 and C2 being immiscible with each other. A first emulsion is obtained comprising droplets of composition C1 dispersed in composition C2, adding under agitation the first emulsion to a liquid composition C3, composition C3 and composition C2 being immiscible with each other, to obtain a second emulsion comprising droplets dispersed in composition C3. Loading the second emulsion in a mixer which applies a homogeneous controlled shear rate to said second emulsion, said shear rate being from 1 000 s-1 to 100 000 s-1, to obtain a third emulsion comprising droplets dispersed in composition C3, and cross-linking the droplets so that solid microcapsules dispersed in composition C3 are obtained.

The invention relates to a device (1) for generating droplets (30) comprising a plurality of channels (20), wherein each channel (20) extends from an inlet (201) along a respective longitudinal axis (L) to an outlet (202), wherein said device (1) comprises a plurality of layers (10) of a substrate material arranged in a stack (100), wherein each layer (10) comprises a first side (101) and a second side (102) facing away from each other, and wherein said first side (101) of each layer (10) comprises a plurality of grooves (103), wherein said channels (20) are formed by said grooves (103) of said first side (101) of a respective layer (10) of said stack (100) and said second side (102) of a respective adjacent layer (10) of said stack (100). The invention further relates to a method for generating droplets (30) and a fabrication method of the device (1).

The invention relates to a device (1) for generating droplets (30) comprising a plurality of channels (20), wherein each channel (20) extends from an inlet (201) along a respective longitudinal axis (L) to an outlet (202), wherein said device (1) comprises a plurality of layers (10) of a substrate material arranged in a stack (100), wherein each layer (10) comprises a first side (101) and a second side (102) facing away from each other, and wherein said first side (101) of each layer (10) comprises a plurality of grooves (103), wherein said channels (20) are formed by said grooves (103) of said first side (101) of a respective layer (10) of said stack (100) and said second side (102) of a respective adjacent layer (10) of said stack (100). The invention further relates to a method for generating droplets (30) and a fabrication method of the device (1).

Nanoscale emulsions can be made by means of condensing a liquid vapor onto another liquid. The precise size, chemical composition, and density of emulsions may be controlled through varying the experimental parameters, such as surfactant concentration, time of condensation, humidity, and temperature.

Embodiments of the present application relate to batches of bupivacaine multivesicular liposomes (MVLs) prepared by a commercial manufacturing process using independently operating dual tangential flow filtration modules.

The present invention generally relates to microparticles and, in particular, to systems and methods for encapsulation within microparticles. In one aspect, the present invention is generally directed to microparticles containing entities therein, where the entities contain an agent that can be released from the microparticles, e.g., via diffusion. In some cases, the agent may be released from the microparticles without disruption of the microparticles. The entities may be, for instance, polymeric particles, hydrogel particles, droplets of fluid, etc. The entities may be contained within a fluid that is, in turn, encapsulated within the microparticle. The agent may be released from the entity into the fluid, and then from the fluid through the microparticle. In such fashion, the release of agent from the microparticle may be controlled, e.g., over relatively long time scales. Other embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to methods of making such microparticles, methods of using such microparticles, microfluidic devices for making such microparticles, and the like.

The present invention generally relates to microparticles and, in particular, to systems and methods for encapsulation within microparticles. In one aspect, the present invention is generally directed to microparticles containing entities therein, where the entities contain an agent that can be released from the microparticles, e.g., via diffusion. In some cases, the agent may be released from the microparticles without disruption of the microparticles. The entities may be, for instance, polymeric particles, hydrogel particles, droplets of fluid, etc. The entities may be contained within a fluid that is, in turn, encapsulated within the microparticle. The agent may be released from the entity into the fluid, and then from the fluid through the microparticle. In such fashion, the release of agent from the microparticle may be controlled, e.g., over relatively long time scales. Other embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to methods of making such microparticles, methods of using such microparticles, microfluidic devices for making such microparticles, and the like.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing solid microcapsules, comprising the steps of: a) adding under agitation a composition C1 comprising at least one active material to a cross-linkable liquid composition C2, wherein the active material is an additive to be used in the oil industry, composition C1 and composition C2 being immiscible with each other, so that a first emulsion is obtained, said first emulsion comprising droplets of composition C1 dispersed in composition C2, b) adding under agitation the first emulsion obtained in step a) to a liquid composition C3, composition C3 and composition C2 being immiscible with each other, so that a second emulsion is obtained, said second emulsion comprising droplets dispersed in composition C3, c) loading the second emulsion obtained in step b) in a mixer which applies a homogeneous controlled shear rate to said second emulsion, said shear rate being from 1 000 s.sup.1 to 100 000 s.sup.1, so that a third emulsion is obtained, said third emulsion comprising droplets dispersed in composition C3, and d) cross-linking the droplets obtained in step c), so that solid microcapsules dispersed in composition C3 are obtained.

Multiple emulsions and techniques for the formation of multiple emulsions are generally described. A multiple emulsion, as used herein, describes larger droplets that contain one or more smaller droplets therein. In some embodiments, the larger droplet or droplets may be suspended in a carrying fluid containing the larger droplets that, in turn, contain the smaller droplets. As described below, multiple emulsions can be formed in one step in certain embodiments, with generally precise repeatability, and can be tailored in some embodiments to include a relatively thin layer of fluid separating two other fluids.

A method for preparing solid microcapsules, comprising the steps of adding under agitation a composition C1 comprising at least one active material to a cross-linkable liquid composition C2, the active material is not an additive to be used in the lubricant, fuel or bitumen industries, drilling sludges or muds, or oil exploration/production, compositions C1 and C2 being immiscible with each other. A first emulsion is obtained comprising droplets of composition C1 dispersed in composition C2, adding under agitation the first emulsion to a liquid composition C3, composition C3 and composition C2 being immiscible with each other, to obtain a second emulsion comprising droplets dispersed in composition C3. Loading the second emulsion in a mixer which applies a homogeneous controlled shear rate to said second emulsion, said shear rate being from 1 000 s-1 to 100 000 s-1, to obtain a third emulsion comprising droplets dispersed in composition C3, and cross-linking the droplets so that solid microcapsules dispersed in composition C3 are obtained.