US-12625123-B2 - Device and method for the analytical and sensory determination of the release of an active substance from a release system

US12625123B2US 12625123 B2US12625123 B2US 12625123B2US-12625123-B2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and a method for the analytical and/or sensory determination of the release of an active substance or several active substances from a release system. In particular, the present invention relates to a device and a method for determining the release of an active substance or active substances, in particular of an odiferous substance or flavoring or an odiferous substance or flavoring mixture, from a capsule or a precursor. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a device and a method for determining the properties of a release system, in particular of a capsule or a precursor. Ultimately, the present invention relates to the use of the device and method according to the invention for the analytical and/or sensory determination of the release of one or more active substances from a release system.

Inventors

Edison Diaz
Isabel Lanfermann
Katharina MICHELS
Marco Singer
Patrick Ostermann
Achim Schumann
Fabian Ude

Assignees

SYMRISE AG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20191127

Claims (17)

1 . A device suitable for the analytical and/or sensory determination of the release of one or more active substances from a release system, and/or for determining the properties of a release system, comprising: (a) a base frame; (b) a sample carrier or a supporting surface connected to the base frame and on which the release system is to be located, the release system being a capsule or a precursor: (c) an activation device which is connected to the base frame and which is adapted to open or activate the release system and to release the one or more active substances; wherein the activation device comprises: an activator for exerting a physical or chemical impulse on the release system in order to release the one or more active substances, a collection container for enclosing the release system on the sample carrier or supporting surface and the activator when the collection container is placed on the sample carrier or the supporting surface, and a Z-positioning unit connected to the activator and the collection container to move the activator and the collection container perpendicularly to the sample carrier or the supporting surface; and and (d) a detection device in communication with the activation device to receive the one or more released active substances from the activation device for the analytical determination of the one or more released active substances.
2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the activation device further comprises: a detection line for collecting the one or more released active substances and guiding them to the detection device.
3 . The device of claim 2 , further comprising a purge line connected to the detection line and arranged to supply a purge gas or a purge liquid to the detection line.
4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the physical or chemical pulse exerted on the capsule by the activation device is selected from one or more in the group of pressure, friction, temperature, change in pH, UV radiation, microwaves and ultrasound, or wherein the physical or chemical pulse exerted on the precursor by the activation device is selected from one or more in the group of chemical reaction, temperature, humidity, change in pH, oxygen (oxidation), light, enzymes and microorganisms.
5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the activator has a rough surface.
6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the activation device comprises a rotation unit which triggers concentric, eccentric or isometric movement at the activator.
7 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising: at least one X positioning unit and/or Y positioning unit, which is connected to the base frame and which is arranged to move the activation device relative to the sample carrier or the supporting surface.
8 . The device according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one X positioning unit and/or Y positioning unit comprises a positioning laser.
9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the release system comprises a capsule.
10 . Method for the analytical and/or sensory determination of the release of one or more active substances from a release system wherein the release system is a capsule or a precursor, the method comprising the following steps: (i) providing the release system comprising one or more active substances, on a sample carrier or on a support surface; (ii) positioning an activation device with an activator and a collection container over the release system; (iii) lowering the activation device, so that the collection container encloses the release system and the activator when the collection container is supported on the sample carrier or the support surface; (iv) releasing the one or more active substances from the release system by means of the activator; (v) collecting and delivering the released one or more active substances to a detection device; and (vi) determining, analytically and/or sensorily, the one or more released active substances from the release system; and/or determining the properties of the release system; and/or analyzing the distribution and adhesion of the release system on a substrate; and/or analyzing the substantivity of one or more active substances after release from the release system on a substrate; and/or analyzing the influence of physical or chemical factors on the mechanical stability and breaking strength of the release system and/or on the release of one or more active substances from the release system; and/or determining analytically the release of one or more active substances for determining the properties of the release system during the development and production of the release system.
11 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising, after step (vi): (vii) resetting the device, wherein resetting the device comprises one or more of the following steps: (α) raising the activation device; (β) purging the activator and/or a detection line and/or the detection device with a purge gas or a purge liquid; and (γ) blowing off residues of the one or more released active substances and/or other sample residues from the activation device.
12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the release of the one or more active substances by means of the activator is followed by a physical pulse or a chemical pulse on the capsule or on the precursor.
13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the physical or chemical pulse on the capsule is selected from one or more in the group of pressure, friction, temperature, change in pH, UV radiation, microwaves, and ultrasound, or the physical or chemical pulse on the precursor is selected from one or more in the group of chemical reaction, temperature, humidity, change in pH, oxygen (oxidation), light, enzymes, and microorganisms.
14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the release of the one or more active substances by means of the activator is carried out at a pressure of in a range of 1000 Pa to 30000 Pa.
15 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the release of the one or more active substances by means of the activator is carried out at a rotational speed of the activator on contact with the release system and/or the sample in a range of 50 rpm to 1,000 rpm.
16 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the release system is selected from one or more in the group of: hard-shelled capsules, soft-shelled capsules, macrocapsules, microcapsules, capsule slurries and capsule emulsions.
17 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the one or more active substances is selected from one or more in the group of odiferous substances, flavorings, perfume oils, odiferous substance mixtures, flavoring mixtures, aromas, plant extracts, essential oils, cosmetic active substances, cooling active substances, pharmaceutical active substances.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a U.S. National Phase of International Application PCT/EP2019/082811, filed Nov. 27, 2019. FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a device and a method for the analytical and/or sensory determination of the release of an active substance or several active substances from a release system. In particular, the present invention relates to a device and a method for determining the release of an active ingredient or active ingredients, in particular of an odiferous substance or flavoring or an odiferous substance or flavor mixture, from a capsule or a precursor. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a device and a method for determining the properties of a release system, in particular of a capsule or a precursor. Ultimately, the present invention relates to the use of the device and method according to the invention for the analytical and/or sensory determination of the release of one or more active ingredients from a release system. A release system in the sense of the invention is a solid preparation, for example particles or capsules, containing one or more active ingredients. Another example of such release systems are so-called precursors or precursor substances. In such precursors or precursor substances, a chemical or physical impulse, for example a chemical reaction with an agent, temperature, humidity, change in pH, oxygen (oxidation), light, for example UV radiation, enzymes, microorganisms, etc., releases one or more active ingredient(s). For example, in the fragrance production, precursors are molecules with a weak intrinsic odor that release at least one new fragrance molecule when external factors such as temperature, oxygen (oxidation), light, enzymes, microorganisms, chemical reaction (for example, hydrolysis), change in pH or moisture act on them. As a result, over the life span of such a fragrance precursor, new fragrance notes are released again and again, resulting in a slightly varying odor. By the term “encapsulation” the skilled person generally understands a technique by which finely dispersed solid, liquid or gaseous substances, for example active ingredients, are surrounded by a film-forming shell of polymeric and/or inorganic wall materials and are thus immobilized. The substances or active ingredients enclosed in the capsules are commonly referred to as the core material. Depending on the wall or cladding material and the degree of crosslinking, individual properties of the microcapsules can thus be achieved. The aim here is to protect the active components, known as active ingredients, from reactions with the environment, for example moisture or oxidation, but also reaction with other substances, and/or to be able to release them in a targeted manner at a defined time. In encapsulation, a distinction is made between capsules of the matrix type or the core/shell type, depending on the phase morphologies. In matrix encapsulation, the active ingredient(s) is/are homogeneously mixed with the shell component (“matrix”), resulting in a particle in which the active ingredient(s) is/are uniformly distributed. Matrix systems are also known as microparticles. Typically, the release of the active ingredient(s) occurs either by diffusion of the active ingredient(s) into the environment or by degradation of the matrix. In core/shell encapsulation, the active ingredient(s) that form the core are encapsulated with a shell material. A true capsule with one or more shell(s) is created. Usually, a mechanical stress, for example pressure or shear, produces a complete release of the core material. However, it is also possible to selectively release the core material or active ingredient(s) by alternative opening mechanisms, for example temperature, change in pH, UV radiation, microwaves or ultrasound. In addition to macroscopic particles with diameters in the range up to 1 cm, microcapsules are of particular interest. This is understood by the skilled person to mean spherical particles with a diameter in the range from about 0.0001 to about 5 and preferably 0.005 to 0.5 mm. According to the invention, the term “microcapsules” refers to particles and aggregates containing an inner space or core filled with a solid, gelled, liquid or gaseous medium and enclosed (encapsulated) by a continuous shell of film-forming polymers. In addition, the microscopic capsules may contain one or more cores distributed in the continuous encapsulation material consisting of one or more layers. The shell of such microcapsules may consist of natural, semisynthetic or synthetic materials. Natural shell materials are, for example, gum arabic, agar-agar, agarose, maltodextrins, alginic acid or its salts, e.g., sodium or calcium alginate, fats and fatty acids, cetyl alcohol, collagen, chitosan, lecithin, gelatin, albumin, shellac, polysaccharides, such as starch or dextran, polypeptides, protein hydrolysates, sucrose and waxes. Semi-synthetic coating materials