Nanoparticle fabrication methods, systems, and materials

Abstract

Nanosized particles are molded from granules of organic substances in nano-scale molds. The nano-scale molds can be fabricated from non-wetting, low surface energy polymeric materials. The nanosized particles can be virtually any shape, are typically less than 500 micrometers in a broadest dimension, and can include pharmaceutical compositions, biologic drugs, drug compositions, organic materials, and the like.

1 . A composition, comprising:
 a plurality of particles, each particle of the plurality of particles having a predetermined shape, wherein each particle of the plurality of particles is derived from a solid substance positioned in a mold cavity, wherein the plurality of particles has a substantially uniform size distribution; and each particle of the plurality of particles has a broadest dimension of less than about 500 μm.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles has a broadest dimension of less than about 100 μm. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles has a broadest dimension of less than about 50 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles has a broadest dimension of less than about 10 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles has a broadest dimension of less than about 1 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles has a broadest dimension of less than about 500 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles has a broadest dimension of less than about 100 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles has a broadest dimension of less than about 50 nm. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.80 and about 1.20. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.90 and about 1.10. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.95 and about 1.05. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.99 and about 1.01. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.999 and about 1.001. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles is substantially uniform in a linear size, a volume, a three dimensional shape, surface area, mass, or geometric shape. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the solid substance is an active pharmaceutical ingredient. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles are organic particles. 
     
     
         17 . A nanosized particle, comprising:
 a drug composition formed into a particle from a drug composition solid substance contained within a cavity, wherein the particle has a broadest dimension of less than about 500 μm.   
     
     
         18 . The nanosized particle of  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality particles, wherein each of the particles of the plurality of particles has substantially the same geometric shape. 
     
     
         19 . The nanosized particle of  claim 17 , wherein the solid substance comprises granules. 
     
     
         20 . The nanosized particle of  claim 17 , wherein the solid substance comprises a powder. 
     
     
         21 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein each of the particles of the plurality of particle has a broadest dimension of less than about 100 μm. 
     
     
         22 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein each of the particles of the plurality of particle has a broadest dimension of less than about 50 μm. 
     
     
         23 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein each of the particles of the plurality of particle has a broadest dimension of less than about 10 μm. 
     
     
         24 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein each of the particles of the plurality of particle has a broadest dimension of less than about 1 μm. 
     
     
         25 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein each of the particles of the plurality of particle has a broadest dimension of less than about 500 nm. 
     
     
         26 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein each of the particles of the plurality of particle has a broadest dimension of less than about 100 nm. 
     
     
         27 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein the particles of the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.80 and about 1.20. 
     
     
         28 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein the particles of the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.90 and about 1.10. 
     
     
         29 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein the particles of the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.95 and about 1.05. 
     
     
         30 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein the particles of the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.99 and about 1.01. 
     
     
         31 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein the particles of the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.999 and about 1.001. 
     
     
         32 . The nanosized particle of  claim 18 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles is substantially uniform in a linear size, a volume, a three dimensional shape, surface area, mass, or geometric shape. 
     
     
         33 . A method of fabricating a nanosized particle, comprising:
 introducing a solid substance to a cavity defined in a mold, wherein the cavity comprises a predetermined shape and has a broadest dimension less than about 500 μm;   forming a particle from the solid substance in the cavity, wherein the particle substantially mimics a shape of the cavity; and   removing the particle from the cavity.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the mold comprises a fluoropolymer. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the mold comprises a perfluoropolyether. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the solid substance is organic. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the solid substance is granular. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the solid substance is a powder. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein forming comprises dissolving, partially dissolving, melting, sintering, chemically treating, inducing a phase change, cross-linking, crystallization, partial crystallization, precipitation, evaporation, cooling, heating, oxidation, reduction, photo-curing, thermal curing, recrystallization, or partial recrystallization. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising, after removing, processing the particle. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the processing of the particle comprises removing material from the particle, increasing surface area, increasing purity, etching, partial dissolution, physical processing, heating, cooling, chemical processing, evaporation, reduction, or extraction. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the solid substance comprises a drug component. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the solid substance is selected from the group consisting of a pharmaceutical, an active agent, a drug, a biologic molecule, a virus, a binder, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         44 . A composition, comprising:
 a plurality of particles, wherein a particle of the plurality of particles has a predetermined shape, wherein each particle of the plurality of particles is derived from a solid substance positioned in a mold cavity, and wherein each particle of the plurality of particles has a broadest dimension of less than about 500 μm.   
     
     
         45 . The composition of  claim 44 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles has substantially uniform shape. 
     
     
         46 . The composition of  claim 44 , wherein the solid substance comprises an active pharmaceutical ingredient. 
     
     
         47 . The composition of  claim 44 , wherein the particles of the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.90 and about 1.10. 
     
     
         48 . The composition of  claim 44 , wherein the particles of the plurality of particles have a normalized size distribution of between about 0.95 and about 1.05. 
     
     
         49 . The composition of  claim 44 , wherein each particle of the plurality of particles is substantially uniform in a linear size, a volume, a three dimensional shape, surface area, mass, or geometric shape. 
     
     
         50 . The composition of  claim 44 , wherein the particles are organic particles.