JPS6046980B2 - Manufacturing method of deformed seamless soft capsule and its manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing seamless soft capsules, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for producing seamless soft capsules having an oval or flat shape.

Conventionally, capsules with various shapes have been commercially available, but
These all include a hard capsule that fits a cap onto the body.
Alternatively, it is a soft capsule that has a seam between two sheets, and only spherical seamless soft capsules exist.

Seamless soft capsules are manufactured using the dropping method, which takes advantage of the property of liquid droplets to become spherical due to their surface tension, so only spherical capsules can be obtained, and capsules of other shapes cannot be obtained. It is from. The present inventors have completed the present invention as a result of intensive research to obtain deformed seamless soft capsules having not only spherical shapes but also various shapes, particularly ellipsoids, oblong ellipses, and flat disc shapes. . That is, the present invention provides a method for producing seamless soft capsules by causing capsule filling material and coating material to flow out from the tip of a double nozzle into a cooling liquid that is refluxing at a constant rate. A method for manufacturing a modified seamless soft capsule having a shape such as an ellipse, which is characterized by cooling the droplet through a tube smaller in diameter than the diameter of the droplet while the droplet is in a sol state, and draining the capsule filling material and the coating material. In a seamless soft capsule manufacturing apparatus having a double nozzle and a granulation section for refluxing coagulated i-liquid for solidifying the discharged droplets, a pipe having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the droplets discharged to the granulation section Provided is an apparatus for manufacturing a modified seamless soft capsule having a shape such as an ellipse, characterized by comprising:

The present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a simplified overall view of the device of the invention.

FIGS. 2a to 2c are schematic enlarged sectional views showing three different forms of the granulation part A in FIG. 1.

The coating material 1 and the capsule filling material 2 are fed from constant temperature tanks 16 and 17 kept at 10 to 90°C, metering pumps 11 and 14
The double nozzle 3 is connected to the double nozzle 3 through which the coating material 1 is supplied to the outside of the double nozzle 3 and the capsule filling material 2 is supplied to the inside. The coating material 1 consists of gelatin and a water-soluble polyhydric alcohol or a water-soluble derivative thereof, and may be any of those used for the production of conventional capsules.

Examples of water-soluble polyhydric alcohols or water-soluble derivatives thereof include glycerin, polyglycerin, sorbitol, ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymer, oligosaccharide, sugar ester, glyceride. , sorbitan esters. As an example of the capsule filling material 2, any material that is normally filled into soft capsules may be used.

Examples include hemorrhoid therapeutic agents, non-narcotic antitussives, non-steroidal or non-pyrine anti-inflammatory analgesic/antipyretics, antibiotics, anti-Parkinson's disease therapeutic agents, and cerebral/peripheral blood flow improving agents. The substance supplied to the double nozzle 3 is from the nozzle.
It flows out into the coagulation liquid 4.

The temperature of the coagulating liquid 4 is generally preferably 9 to 10°C. The coagulating liquid 4 is a solvent that does not mix with the gelatin solution, and includes, for example, liquid paraffin, mineral oil, vegetable oil, and the like. The substance released into the coagulation liquid 4 forms droplets 5 due to its surface tension.

In the present invention, the formed droplet 5 is introduced into a tube 6 having a diameter smaller than that of the droplet 5 while it is still in a sol state. The time that the droplet 5 is in the sol state depends on the size of the droplet and the coagulation liquid 4.
Although it depends on the temperature and other factors and is not limited, it is usually appropriate that the time is within 3 seconds. The diameter of the tube 6 is the size of the droplet 5,
It varies depending on the size of the capsule manufactured. Preferably 0.5-20m! It is n. The material of the tube 6 is one that allows the droplet 5 to slide easily, and examples thereof include a glass tube, an acrylic tube, a Teflon tube, and a silicon tube. Preferably it is a Teflon tube or a silicone tube. The droplet 5 passing through the tube 6 is cooled in a cooling section 7.

Although the temperature of the cooling section is not particularly limited, it is preferably 6 to 7°C. The cooled droplets 5 are separated from the coagulating liquid 4 by a separating plate 9 and dried to obtain modified seamless soft capsules having an oblong shape. The collected coagulated liquid 4 is sent from the separator 10 to a storage tank 15 via a metering pump 13. The coagulating liquid 4 is again supplied to the granulation section A via the metering pump 14. In a first embodiment of the invention (FIG. 2a), the droplet 5 flows directly into the tube 6.

The upper part of the coagulating liquid 4 is closed to form a closed circuit. In the second embodiment (FIG. 2b), the outflowing droplets 5 form a spherical shape and are then guided into the tube 6 while in a sol state. The second aspect is also a closed circuit. In the third embodiment of the invention (FIG. 2c), like the second embodiment, the sphere is formed and then introduced into the tube 6, but the top of the coagulating liquid 4 is open, forming an open circuit. According to the present invention, by changing the shape of the tube 6, modified seamless soft capsules having various shapes can be manufactured.

For example, if the tube 6 is cylindrical, a capsule with an oblong shape can be obtained, and if the tube 6 is flat, a disk-shaped capsule can be obtained. The modified seamless soft capsule obtained by the present invention has a shape such as an ellipse, making it easy to take.

There is a degree of freedom in coating formulation, and easily soluble capsules can be obtained. In addition, the accuracy of the content liquid and film is 5 to 10% higher than that of conventional products.
% to 3%. It is also possible to obtain products with relatively small diameters, which can be used for non-pharmaceutical purposes (e.g.
It can also be applied to foods, confectionery, etc.).

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a simplified overall view of the device of the invention. FIGS. 2a to 2c are schematic enlarged cross-sectional views showing three other embodiments of the granulation section A in FIG. 1. The symbols in the figure are as follows: 1...Coating material, 2...Capsule filling material, 3...Double nozzle, 4...Coagulating liquid, 5...
...Droplet, 6...Capsule recovery pipe, 7...Cooling section,
9... Separation plate, 10... Separator, 11, 12
, 13, 14... Metering pump, 15... Storage tank, 16, 17... Constant temperature tank.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A method for producing seamless soft capsules by causing a capsule filling material and a coating material to flow out from the tip of a double nozzle into a cooling liquid that is refluxing at a constant rate. A method for producing a modified seamless soft capsule having a shape such as an ellipse, which comprises cooling the droplets while they are in a sol state through a tube having a diameter smaller than that of the droplets. 2. The method according to item 1, wherein the droplet is introduced into a tube smaller than the diameter of the droplet within 3 seconds. 3. The method according to item 1, wherein the thin tube is cylindrical. 4. In a seamless soft capsule manufacturing apparatus having a double nozzle through which the capsule filling material and the coating material flow out, and a granulation section through which the coagulation liquid for solidifying the flowed droplets is returned, the flow into the granulation section is provided. 1. An apparatus for manufacturing a modified seamless soft capsule having a shape such as an ellipse, comprising a tube having a diameter smaller than the diameter of a droplet. 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which the droplets are directly discharged into a tube having a small diameter. 6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the droplet is directed into a tube with a small diameter within 3 seconds. 7. The device according to claim 4, wherein the tube with a small diameter is cylindrical.