| Production of capsules and particles for improvement of food products -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Production of capsules and particles for improvement of food productsRelated Patent Categories: Food Or Edible Material: Processes, Compositions, And Products, Application Of A Gas, Mist, Smoke Or Vapor To A Food Material Under The Influence Of Electrical Or Wave EnergyProduction of capsules and particles for improvement of food products description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060057259, Production of capsules and particles for improvement of food products. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/627,387, filed on Jul. 25, 2003, entitled "Production of Capsules and Particles for Improvement of Food Product," which claims priority from Spanish Patent No. 200100231, filed on Jan. 31, 2001 and a PCT Application No. US 02/02787, filed on Jan. 30, 2002, entitled "Production of Capsules and Particles for Improvement of Food Products." FIELD OF INVENTION [0002] The invention relates generally to the field of production of small particle and/or capsules with extremely small and uniform sizes using electro hydrodynamic (EHD) techniques. The particles and/or capsules as prepared by this invention are especially adapted for use in food products and allow, for example, the addition of enhancing or functional food additives without adversely effecting the organoleptic or other properties of the food products. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The present invention uses electro hydrodynamic (EHD) forces to generate coaxial jets and to stretch them out to the desired sizes. For appropriate operating conditions, a liquid flow rate, in the form of a micro/nanometric-sized jet, is issued from the vertex of a Taylor cone (i.e., a liquid meniscus which adopts a conical shape due to the balance between the electric stresses and the interfacial tension). For appropriate operating conditions, a liquid flow rate, in the form of a micro/nanometric jet, is issued from the vertex of such a Taylor cone. The break up of this jet gives rise to an aerosol of charged droplets, which is called electrospray. This configuration is widely known as electrospray in the cone-jet mode (Cloupeau et al., J. Electrostatics, 22, 135-159, 1992). The scaling laws for the emitted current and the droplet size of the electrospray are given in the literature (see, e.g., Fernandez de la Mora et al., J. Fluid Mech., 260, 155-184, 1994; Ganan-Calvo et al., J. Aerosol Sci., 28, 249-275, 1997; Ganan-Calvo, Phys. Rev. Lett., 79, 217-220, 1997; Hartman et al., J. Aerosol Sci., 30, 823-849, 1999). Electrospray is a technique which has satisfactory prove its ability to generate steady liquid jets and monodisperse aerosols with sizes ranging from a few nanometers to hundred of microns (Loscertales et al., J. Chem. Phys., 103, 5041-5060, 1995). Generally, in most electrospray experiments, a unique liquid (or solution) forms the Taylor cone. However, the procedure described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,122,670 (Jun. 16, 1992) and 5,517,260 (Oct. 20, 1992), entitled "Multilayer Flow Electrospray Ion Source Using Improved Sheath Liquid" and "Method and Apparatus for Focusing Ions in Viscous Flow Jet Expansion Region of an Electrospray Apparatus," respectively, involve two or more miscible liquids which were properly injected to be mixed in the Taylor cone to improve the transmission of ions, and the stability and sensitivity of a mass spectrometer. Other patents of interest to the present invention relating to electrospray technology include, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,885,076 (Dec. 5, 1989), 4,977,785 (Dec. 18, 1990), 5,170,053 (Dec. 8, 1992), 5,171,990 (Dec. 15, 1992), 5,393,975 (Feb. 28, 1995), and Re. 35,413 (Dec. 31, 1996). [0004] Recently there has been significant interest in providing food products having increased health and/or nutritional benefits. Such improved food products and/or such functional foods generally have one or more added ingredients which are included to provide a specific health and/or nutritional benefit. Thus, food such as breads with added carbohydrates, cereals with added vitamins and/or minerals, foods in which undesirable components are reduced by the addition of other more desirable components (e.g., replacement of fat with a fat substitute), soy protein-containing foods, fiber-containing foods, protein-enriched foods, omega fatty acid-containing foods, calcium or other mineral or vitamin enriched foods, dietary supplement-containing foods, and the like are becoming increasing popular with a health conscious public. Such improved or functional foods may contribute to overall well being and/or reduce the risk of certain diseases or conditions. [0005] Unfortunately, it is often difficult to incorporate such ingredients in food products without adversely affecting the organoleptic and/or other properties of the food product. Ideally, it is desired to provide such an improved or functional food product which has taste, texture, and other organoleptic properties as close to, and perhaps even superior to, the conventional food product without the added ingredients. In many cases, however, such additives provide undesirable flavor, aroma, textural, or similar properties to the foods to which they are added. In some cases, the enhancing additives may even react or complex with other components of the food product (including, for example, other desired enhancing additives) thereby adversely affecting the food product in some manner or making the additives less readily available for absorption and use in the body upon consumption. [0006] Thus, it would be desirable to provide improved and/or functional foods wherein such enhancing additives are contained in a form which prevents or significantly reduces impairment of the organoleptic or other properties of the foods to which they are added. The present invention provides such improved and/or functional foods. For example, the present invention allows for the incorporation of enhancing additives which would, except for the use of the present invention, normally result in taste, aroma, textural, or other organoleptic defects when added to food products. Thus, the present invention allows for the product of the improved and/or functional foods without, or with significantly reduced, organoleptic defects normally associated with such enhancing additives; indeed, the improved and/or functional foods of this invention closely mimic the corresponding conventional food without such enhancing additives. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention is related to the production of capsules or particles of micro and nanometric size, for introduction into food, using stable electrified coaxial jets of two immiscible liquids with diameters in the micro and nanometric range. An aerosol of charged structured droplets forms when the jets dissociate by capillary instabilities. The structured droplets, which are mono-dispersed in size, contain a first liquid (generally the material desired to be added) that is surrounded by a second liquid. Generally the second liquid provides a barrier or protective coating which allows the addition of the first liquid to a food product without adversely affecting the organoleptic or other properties of the food product. [0008] A variety of devices and methods are disclosed which allow for the formation of the stable electrified coaxial micro-jets. In preferred embodiments, the inner fluid is a liquid which forms a food or food additive, which would be desirable to have in, but which cannot be added to food for some reason (e.g., taste defects or reaction with other components in the food product). A non-toxic outer liquid surrounds the inner one. Coaxial jets break up into structured droplets where the inner fluid (liquid food) is coated with the outer one (liquid carrier coating). The coating provided by the outer liquid prevents either the taste defects or reactive effects of the liquid food from having their undesirable consequences. These embodiments provide spherical particles of liquid food coated with a layer of another non-toxic material (e.g., a polymer that is degraded in the gastrointestinal tract) and may or may not be a food product. [0009] The outer diameter of the coaxial jets can have a diameter in the range of from about 80 nanometers to about 100 microns. The stable jet is maintained by the action of electrical stresses when both liquids are fed at appropriate flow rates. Mono-dispersed aerosols from the invention are characterized by having a high degree of uniformity in particle size. Particles have the same diameter with a deviation in diameter from one particle to another in a range of about .+-.2 (or less) to about .+-.10 percent. [0010] This invention provides a method to form stable coaxial electrified jets of two non-miscible liquids via EHD. This invention also provides a mono-disperse aerosol of structured particles or capsules as a result of the break up of the coaxial jets. Capsules are characterized by having the same diameter with a deviation in diameter from one particle to another in a range of from about .+-.2 (or less) to about .+-.10 percent. These capsules may be desiccated following dispersion and then added to food. [0011] One advantage of the present invention is that the resulting droplets have an uniform size, and that, depending of the properties of the liquids and the injected flow rates, such a size can be easily varied from tens of microns to a few nanometers. Another advantage of the invention is that capsules are created with a relatively small amount of energy. Another feature of the invention is that the surface area of a given substance can be maintained while decreasing the overall amount of the substance (e.g., a fiber particle coated with oil). This can allow introduction of components that are generally incompatible with a food (e.g., introduction of lactase in milk) by coating the component. Yet another feature of the invention is the use production of time-release components to control delivery of the contents of the capsule (e.g., carbohydrates coated to allow a systematic delivery over, for example, a one to twelve-hour period). [0012] Another advantage of this invention results from the fact that breaking up of the jet gives rise to structured micro/nanometric droplets. In some particular applications, the outer liquid is a solution containing monomers, which under appropriate excitation polymerize to produce micro/nanometric capsules. When uncharged droplets are required, the aerosol can be easily neutralized by corona discharge. [0013] These and other aspects, advantages, and features will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure in combination with the FIGURE provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING [0014] The FIGURE provides a schematic representation of an apparatus 100 suitable for the formation of capsules and particles for incorporation into food products by generation of compound jets via EHD. A structured Taylor cone 20 forms at the ends 18 the electrified needles 14 and 16 when inner liquid 10 and outer liquid 12, respectively, are injected at appropriate flow rates through their respective needle tips 18. At least one needle (in this case needle 16) is connected at a potential difference 28 with respect to a reference electrode 24 which has a hole 26 there through. In one preferred embodiment, the potential difference 28 between the needles 14 and 16 and the reference electrode 24 is a few kV. Two concentric jets 21, one of them surrounding the other, issue from the tip (i.e., cone vertex) of Taylor cone 20. The concentric jets 21 break up eventually by varicose instabilities giving rise to an aerosol of compound drops 22 with the inner liquid 10 (dark grey) surrounded by the outer one 12 (lighter gray). Chamber 30 contains a dielectric atmosphere (i.e., gas, liquid, or vacuum) in which the compound drops 22 are formed. Compound drops 22 can be removed from chamber 30 via hole 26. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0015] The present invention is related to the production of capsules or particles of micro and nanometric size, for introduction into food, using stable electrified coaxial jets of two immiscible liquids with diameters in the micro and nanometric range. An aerosol of charged structured droplets forms when the jets dissociate by capillary instabilities. The structured droplets, which are mono-dispersed in size, contain a first liquid (generally the material desired to be added) that is surrounded by a second liquid. Generally the second liquid provides a barrier or protective coating which allows the addition of the first liquid to a food product without adversely affecting the organoleptic or other properties of the food product. [0016] In the present invention, liquids are injected at appropriate flow rates throughout metallic needles connected to a high voltage supply. The needles can be arranged either concentrically or one of them surrounding the others. Moreover, if the electrical conductivity of one or more liquid is sufficiently high, then the liquid can be charged through its bulk. In that case a non-metallic needle (i.e., silica tube) can be used to inject the liquid. [0017] The present invention uses two or more immiscible liquids (or poorly miscible) to form, by means of EHD forces, a structured Taylor cone surrounded/immersed by a dielectric atmosphere (gas, liquid, or vacuum). Preferably the dielectric atmosphere is an inert gas (i.e., non-reactive with at least the outermost liquid) or a vacuum. An outer meniscus surrounding the inner ones forms the structure of the cone. A liquid thread is issued from the vertex of each one of the menisci in such a way that a compound jet of co-flowing liquids is formed. The structured, highly charged micro/nanometric jet issues from the vertex of the Taylor cone, and eventually breaks up to form a spray of structured, highly charged, monodisperse micro/nanometric droplets. The term structured jet as used herein refers to either quasi-cylindrical coaxial jets or a jet surrounding the others. The outer diameter of the jet generally ranges from about 50 microns to a few nanometers. The term spray of structured, highly charged, monodisperse, micro/nanometric droplets as used herein refers to charged droplets formed by concentric layers of different liquids or by an outer droplet of liquid surrounding smaller droplets of immiscible liquids (or emulsions)/a liquid engulfing smaller droplets of immiscible liquids. The outer diameter of the droplets ranges from 100 microns to a few of nanometers. [0018] A variety of devices and methods are disclosed which allow for the formation of the stable electrified coaxial micro-jets. In preferred embodiments, the inner fluid is a liquid which forms a food or food additive, which would be desirable to have in, but which cannot be added to food for some reason (e.g., taste defects or reaction with other components in the food product). A non-toxic outer liquid surrounds the inner one. Coaxial jets break up into structured droplets where the inner fluid (liquid food) is coated with the outer one (liquid carrier coating). The coating provided by the outer liquid prevents either the bad taste or reactive effects of the liquid food from having its undesirable consequences. These embodiments provide spherical particles of liquid food coated with a layer of another non-toxic material (e.g., a polymer that is degraded in the gastrointestinal tract) and may or may not be a food product. [0019] In general, the present invention uses a device having a number N of feeding tips of N liquids, such that a flow rate Qi of the i-th liquid flows through the i-th feeding tip, where i is a value between 2 and N. The feeding tips are arranged concentrically and each feeding tip is connected to an electric potential V.sub.i with respect to a reference electrode. The i-th liquid that flows through the i-th feeding tip is immiscible or poorly miscible with liquids (i+1)-th and (i-1)-th. An electrified capillary structured meniscus with noticeable conical shape forms at the exit of the feeding tips. A steady capillary coaxial jet, formed by the N liquids, such that the i-th liquid surrounds the (i+1)-th liquid, issues from the cone apex. Generally, such capillary jet has a diameter ranging typically from 100 microns and 15 nanometers. This diameter is much smaller than the diameters of the feeding tips of the N liquids. Continue reading about Production of capsules and particles for improvement of food products... Full patent description for Production of capsules and particles for improvement of food products Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Production of capsules and particles for improvement of food products patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Production of capsules and particles for improvement of food products or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Flavor release casing Next Patent Application: Method for reducing acrylamide formation in thermally processed foods Industry Class: Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Production of capsules and particles for improvement of food products patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.1611 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Computers: Graphics , I/O , Processors , Dyn. Storage , Static Storage , Printers 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
