FLUIDIZATION OF PARTICLES FOR ENCAPSULATION IN ORAL DOSAGE PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS

摘要

Encapsulated oral dosage pharmaceutical products are produced utilizing a system (1) including a hopper (2) and a dosator (10), where the hopper (2) receives particles having irregular geometries and sizes greater than about 100 µm for delivery to the dosator (10). A gaseous fluid is directed into the hopper (2) to fluidize particles within the hopper (2) so as to minimize or eliminate the formation of voids within the bed of particles disposed within the hopper (2). The fluidization of the particles within the hopper (2) maintains a substantially continuous and uniform flow of particles from the hopper (2) to the dosator (10), which results in the formation of encapsulated products with desirable weights and particle size distributions.