Equipment Assembly for and Method of Processing Particles

Abstract

An equipment assembly for preparing, harvesting and collecting particles is disclosed. The assembly comprises a tandem filter system with one or more high pressure filters, one or more low pressure filters and one or more collection vessel. Particles can be prepared, harvested and collected continuously, semi-continuously or in a batch-type operation. A tandem filter system and its method of use are also disclosed. Particles made with the assembly and according the instant methods are also disclosed. The assembly provides improved particle harvesting and collection over other systems and permits continuous particle formation, in particular by dispersion of a solute-containing process fluid within a supercritical anti-solvent.

1 .- 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 ) A particle formation and collection equipment assembly comprising:
 at least one high pressure particle formation system that forms a supercritical fluid particle-containing suspension;   downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one high pressure particle formation system, at least one first valve;   downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one first valve, at least two particle collection systems in parallel, wherein each of the at least two particle collection systems comprises:
 downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one first valve, at least one second valve; 
 downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one second valve, at least one high pressure harvesting filter system; 
 downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one second valve, at least one collection vessel system; and 
 downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one collection vessel system, at least one low pressure collection filter system. 
   
     
     
         40 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one first valve is adapted to direct the supercritical fluid particle-containing suspension alternately or sequentially to the at least two particle collection systems. 
     
     
         41 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 40 , wherein each at least one second valve is adapted to direct the supercritical fluid particle-containing suspension to its respective high pressure harvesting filter. 
     
     
         42 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 41 , wherein each high pressure harvesting filter is adapted to filter the supercritical fluid particle-containing suspension and to form a respective particle-containing low pressure gaseous suspension. 
     
     
         43 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 42 , wherein each at least one second valve is adapted to direct the particle-containing low pressure gaseous suspension from its respective high pressure harvesting filter to its respective at least one collection vessel system. 
     
     
         44 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 43 , wherein the at least one low pressure collection filter system is adapted to separate gas from particles in the particle-containing low pressure gaseous suspension and retain the particles in its respective at least one collection vessel. 
     
     
         45 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one first valve and the at least one second valve are independently selected upon each occurrence from a two-way valve and a three-way valve. 
     
     
         46 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one high pressure harvesting filter system comprises:
 a jacketed housing defining a lengthwise process cavity comprising at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port;   a particle suspension supply line conductively engaged with the inlet port and the respective at least one second valve;   a gas supply line conductively engaged with the outlet port and configured to provide a low-pressure inert gas;   a temperature controller for controlling the temperature of the jacketed housing; and   at least one lengthwise porous element extending into the process cavity and comprising a porous wall defining a lengthwise inner conduit engaged with the at least one outlet port; wherein,   the at least one high pressure harvesting filter system is configured to receive the supercritical fluid particle-containing suspension in a first forward process direction and to receive a low pressure inert gas in a second reverse process direction, wherein process direction is with respect to flow through the porous element.   
     
     
         47 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one collection vessel system comprises: a) at least one particle inlet conductively engaged with and downstream of the harvesting filter; b) at least one gas outlet conductively engaged with the at least one low pressure collection filter system; c) at least one collection vessel which, together with a respective removable header for the collection vessel, defines a cavity within which the particles are collected. 
     
     
         48 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 47 , wherein the at least one high pressure harvesting filter and the at least one low pressure collection filter are disposed above the removable header. 
     
     
         49 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 47 , wherein the at least one low pressure collection filter system comprises: a) a lengthwise porous element that extends into the cavity of the at least one collection vessel system; b) a lengthwise porous element that is at least partially disposed within the cavity defined by the at least one removable header and the collection vessel; or c) a porous element that is not disposed within the cavity defined by the at least one removable header and the collection vessel. 
     
     
         50 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 49 , wherein the lengthwise porous element comprises a porous wall defining a lengthwise inner lumen having a closed first end and an open second end conductively engaged with at least one outlet port of the at least one low pressure collection filter system. 
     
     
         51 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 49 , wherein the at least one low pressure collection filter system further comprises at least one gas inlet adapted to back-flush the porous element, thereby removing particles that have accumulated on its exposed surface. 
     
     
         52 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 51 , wherein: a) the collection system further comprises at least one sampling port; b) the lengthwise porous element is sintered or fritted or is a cloth or mesh or wound fiber; c) the porous element is a flat or curved plate; d) the collection vessel is removable; or d) a combination of any two or more of a) through c). 
     
     
         53 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 39  further comprising at least one solvent collection system conductively engaged with the at least one high pressure harvesting filter system, and/or at least one inert gas supply system conductively engaged with the at least one high pressure harvesting filter system. 
     
     
         54 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 53  further comprising: a) at least one valve conductively engaged with the at least one solvent collection system and its respective at least one high pressure harvesting filter system; b) at least one valve conductively engaged with the at least one inert gas supply system and its respective at least one high pressure harvesting filter system; or c) a combination of both a) and b). 
     
     
         55 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 39 , wherein each of the at least two particle collection systems comprises its respective high pressure harvesting filter system, collection vessel system, low pressure collection filter system, and at least one second valve. 
     
     
         56 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one high pressure particle formation system comprises a pressurizable precipitation chamber comprising a supercritical fluid (SCF) inlet, a process fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a process fluid disperser configured to disperse process fluid into the chamber, wherein the system is configured to form a particle-containing high pressure liquid suspension. 
     
     
         57 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 39  further comprising: a) one or more temperature controllers; b) one or more computers having a memory storage medium containing software or logic adapted to control operation of one or more components of the system; c) one or more actuators; d) one or more back pressure regulators; e) one or more flow controllers; f) one or more pressure sensors; g) one or more pumps; h) one or more temperature sensors; i) one or more SCF supply systems; j) one or more process fluid supply systems; k) one or more solvent separation vessels; l) one or more solvent collection vessels; m) one or more in-line sensors; n) a gas pulsing system configured to pulse gas into the at least one harvesting filter system, the at least one low pressure collection filter system, or both; or o) a combination thereof. 
     
     
         58 ) A particle formation and collection equipment assembly comprising:
 at least one high pressure particle formation system that forms a supercritical fluid particle-containing suspension;   downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one high pressure particle formation system, at least one first valve;   downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one first valve, at least two high pressure harvesting filter systems in parallel, wherein each of the at least two high pressure harvesting filter systems comprises:
 downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one first valve, at least one second valve; and 
 downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one second valve, at least one high pressure harvesting filter; 
   downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one second valves, at least one third valve; and   downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one third valve, either:
 a) at least one collection vessel system, and downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one collection vessel system, at least one low pressure collection filter system for filtering a particle-containing low pressure gaseous suspension, wherein the at least one third valve is adapted to direct a particle-containing low pressure gaseous suspension to the at least one collection vessel systems; or 
 b) at least one fourth valve, and downstream of and conductively engaged with the at least one fourth valve, at least two collection vessel systems in parallel, and downstream of and conductively engaged with each collection vessel system, a respective low pressure collection filter system, wherein the at least one fourth valve is adapted to direct a particle-containing low pressure gaseous suspension alternately or sequentially to the at least two collection vessel systems. 
   
     
     
         59 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 58 , wherein: a) the at least one first valve is adapted to direct the supercritical fluid particle-containing suspension alternately or sequentially to each of the at least one second valves; and b) each at least one second valve is adapted to direct the supercritical fluid particle-containing suspension to its respective high pressure harvesting filter and is adapted to direct a particle-containing low pressure gaseous suspension from its respective high pressure harvesting filter to the at least one third valve. 
     
     
         60 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 59 , wherein the at least one low pressure collection filter system is adapted to separate gas from particles in the particle-containing low pressure gaseous suspension and retain the particles in its respective at least one collection vessel. 
     
     
         61 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 58 , wherein the at least one high pressure particle formation system comprises a pressurizable precipitation chamber comprising a supercritical fluid (SCF) inlet, a process fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a process fluid disperser configured to disperse process fluid into the chamber, wherein the system is configured to form a particle-containing high pressure liquid suspension. 
     
     
         62 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 58 , wherein the at least one first valve, the at least one second valve, the at least one third valve, and the at least one fourth valve are independently selected upon each occurrence from a two-way valve and a three-way valve. 
     
     
         63 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 58  further comprising at least one solvent collection system conductively engaged with the at least one high pressure harvesting filter system, and/or at least one inert gas supply system conductively engaged with the at least one high pressure harvesting filter system. 
     
     
         64 ) The particle formation and collection equipment assembly of  claim 58  further comprising: a) one or more temperature controllers; b) one or more computers having a memory storage medium containing software or logic adapted to control operation of one or more components of the system; c) one or more actuators; d) one or more back pressure regulators; e) one or more flow controllers; f) one or more pressure sensors; g) one or more pumps; h) one or more temperature sensors; i) one or more SCF supply systems; j) one or more process fluid supply systems; k) one or more solvent separation vessels; l) one or more solvent collection vessels; m) one or more in-line sensors; n) a gas pulsing system configured to pulse gas into the at least one harvesting filter system, the at least one low pressure collection filter system, or both; or o) a combination thereof.