Water-soluble portion packaging with a filling

Abstract

A portioned package of an active ingredient, including a sealed water-soluble envelope containing at least one core and a matrix of a free-flowing material at least partially surrounding the core, the core and matrix together including one or more active ingredients, wherein the core is fixed to the water-soluble envelope.

1 . A portioned package of an active ingredient, comprising a sealed water-soluble envelope containing at least one core and a matrix of a free-flowing material at least partially surrounding the core, the core and matrix together comprising one or more active ingredients, wherein the core is fixed to the water-soluble envelope.  
   
   
       2 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of (optionally acetalized) polyvinyl alcohol (PVAL) and/or PVAL copolymers, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, gelatin, cellulose, and any derivatives and/or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The portioned package of  claim 2 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, or any combination thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or a PVAL copolymer having a degee of hydrolysis of 70 to 100 molar %.  
   
   
       5 . The portioned package of  claim 4 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or a PVAL copolymer having a degee of hydrolysis of 80 to 90 molar %.  
   
   
       6 . The portioned package of  claim 5 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or a PVAL copolymer having a degee of hydrolysis of 81 to 89 molar %.  
   
   
       7 . The portioned package of  claim 6 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or a PVAL copolymer having a degee of hydrolysis of 82 to 88 molar %.  
   
   
       8 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or PVAL copolymer having a molecular weight of 3500 to 100,000 gmol −1 .  
   
   
       9 . The portioned package of  claim 8 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or PVAL copolymer having a molecular weight of 10,000 to 90,000 gmol −1 .  
   
   
       10 . The portioned package of  claim 9 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or PVAL copolymer having a molecular weight of 12,000 to 80,000 gmol −1 .  
   
   
       11 . The portioned package of  claim 10 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or PVAL copolymer having a molecular weight of 13,000 to 70,000 gmol −1 .  
   
   
       12 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or PVAL copolymer having an average polymerization degree of 80 and 700.  
   
   
       13 . The portioned package of  claim 12 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or PVAL copolymer having an average polymerization degree of 150 and 400.  
   
   
       14 . The portioned package of  claim 13 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or PVAL copolymer having an average polymerization degree of 180 and 300.  
   
   
       15 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or a PVAL copolymer having a molecular weight ratio MG(50%) to MG(90%) of 0.3 and 1.  
   
   
       16 . The portioned package of  claim 15 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or a PVAL copolymer having a molecular weight ratio MG(50%) to MG(90%) of 0.4 and 0.8.  
   
   
       17 . The portioned package of  claim 16 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a polyvinyl alcohol and/or a PVAL copolymer having a molecular weight ratio MG(50%) to MG(90%) of 0.45 and 0.6.  
   
   
       18 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) having a degree of substitution (average number of methoxy groups per anhydroglucose unit of the cellulose) of 1.0 to 2.0.  
   
   
       19 . The portioned package of  claim 18 , wherein the HPMC has a degree of substitution of 1.4 to 1.9, and a degree of molar substitution of 0.15 to 0.25.  
   
   
       20 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a film material having a thickness from 10 to 1000 μm.  
   
   
       21 . The portioned package of  claim 20 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a film material having a thickness of 20 to 750 μm.  
   
   
       22 . The portioned package of  claim 21 , wherein the water-soluble envelope comprises a film material having a thickness of 30 to 500 μm.  
   
   
       23 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the core comprises a tablet.  
   
   
       24 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the core comprises a solidified melt.  
   
   
       25 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the core is sterically delimited by means of an internal partition wall or a weir.  
   
   
       26 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the core is fixed to the water-soluble envelope by positioning the core in a shaped cavity of the envelope.  
   
   
       27 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the core is fixed to the water-soluble envelope by shrinking the envelope material.  
   
   
       28 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the core is fixed to the water-soluble envelope by an adhesive bonding.  
   
   
       29 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the free-flowing material comprises a liquid having a viscosity of 500 to 50,000 mPas.  
   
   
       30 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the free-flowing material comprises a liquid having a viscosity of 1000 to 10,000 mPas.  
   
   
       31 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the free-flowing material comprises a liquid having a viscosity of 1200 to 5000 mPas.  
   
   
       32 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the free-flowing material comprises a liquid having a viscosity of 1300 to 3000 mPas.  
   
   
       33 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the free-flowing material comprises a solidified melt.  
   
   
       34 . The portioned package of  claim 1 , wherein the free-flowing material comprises a bulk of particles having a mean particle size of below 1200 μm.  
   
   
       35 . The portioned package of  claim 34 , wherein the free-flowing material comprises a bulk of particles having a mean particle size of below 300 μm.  
   
   
       36 . The portioned package of  claim 35 , wherein the free-flowing material comprises a bulk of particles having a mean particle size of below 250 μm.  
   
   
       37 . The portioned package of  claim 36 , wherein the free-flowing material comprises particles having a mean particle size of below 200 μm.  
   
   
       38 . A process for the manufacture of water-soluble portion packagings, comprising the steps of: 
 a) forming a water-soluble envelope comprising a water-soluble material;    b) filling the envelope with one or more cores and fixing one or more of cores to the envelope;    c) filling the envelope with a matrix of free-flowing material; and    d) sealing the envelope.    
   
   
       39 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the envelpe is formed by injection molding, thermoforming, or deep-drawing.  
   
   
       40 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the core is made by tabletting.  
   
   
       41 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the core is fixed to the water-soluble envelope by positioning the core in a shaped cavity of the envelope.  
   
   
       42 . The process of  claim 41 , wherein after the core is fixed to the water-soluble envelope by positioning the envelope material is shrunk around the core.  
   
   
       43 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the core is fixed to the water-soluble envelope by an adhesive bonding.