IP Library › Granted Patent US 6,911,164
Granted Patent B2
US 6,911,164 · App. 10/259,684 · Granted Jun 28, 2005

Spherical sterol preparations, their production and their use

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,911,164
App. No.
10/259,684
Granted
Jun 28, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A process for making spherically-shaped sterol preparations involving: (a) providing a liquid sterol preparation; (b) forming the liquid sterol preparation into liquid sterol droplets; and (c) solidifying the liquid sterol droplets to form the spherically-shaped sterol preparations.

Claims (25)

1. A process for making spherically-shaped sterol preparations comprising:

(a) providing a liquid sterol preparation;

(b) forming the liquid sterol preparation into liquid sterol droplets; and

(c) solidifying the liquid sterol droplets to form the spherically-shaped sterol preparations.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the liquid sterol droplets are formed by passing the liquid sterol preparation through a vibrating perforated disk.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the vibrating perforated disk contains perforations having a diameter of from about 0.15 to about 1.2 mm.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the liquid sterol droplets have a diameter of from about 1.55 to about 2.0 times the diameter of the perforations.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the liquid sterol droplets are solidified into spherically-shaped sterol preparations by cooling the liquid sterol droplets.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the liquid sterol droplets are cooled using a cooling gaseous or liquid medium.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the cooling gaseous or liquid medium is selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and mixtures thereof.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the liquid sterol preparation of step (a) has a temperature of from about 110 to about 150° C.

9. The process of claim 2 wherein the perforated disk vibrates in a frequency range of from about 200 to about 2000 Hz.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the spherically-shaped sterol preparations have a diameter of from about 0.23 to about 2.4 mm.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the liquid sterol preparation has an active substance content of from about 70 to about 99.9% by weight, based on the weight of the preparation.

12. The product of the process of claim 1 .

13. The product of the process of claim 2 .

14. The product of the process of claim 3 .

15. The product of the process of claim 4 .

16. The product of the process of claim 5 .

17. The product of the process of claim 6 .

18. The product of the process of claim 7 .

19. The product of the process of claim 8 .

20. The product of the process of claim 9 .

21. The product of the process of claim 10 .

22. The product of the process of claim 11 .