Abstract: The present invention provides methods and devices for producing particles with an average diameter less than about 15 ?m using the precipitation with compressed fluid-antisolvent (PCA) process and the carbon-dioxide assisted nebulization with a bubble dryer (CAN-BD) process. In the methods and nozzles of the invention, at least one jet of supercritical or near-supercritical fluid and at least one jet of solution interact to mix the supercritical or near-supercritical fluid and the solution within a chamber. The solution contains at least one solvent and at least one solute. At least one of the jets is a swirling jet. To form particles, the solvent and supercritical or near-supercritical fluid are then injected into a PCA or a CAN-BD process chamber. The degree of mixing depends in part on the power input into the mixing chamber. Power inputs of about 6.5×109 W/m3 enhance the degree of mixing and allow production of nanoscale particles with the PCA process.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of modifying the crystal habit of a compound without altering the crystal structure of the compound through a controlled precipitation technique in the presence of a crystal growth inhibitor as well as the crystallized compounds formed by these methods. Using these methods, the crystal habit of the compound may be modified from acicular to bipyramidal. The modification in crystal habit is attributable to a preferential adsorption mechanism of the crystal growth inhibitor to a fast growing crystal face of the compound. Powder flow properties of the crystallized product are significantly enhanced with the habit modification. This selective crystal habit modification using a crystal growth inhibitor provides a strategy to circumvent the manufacturing difficulties associated with acicular crystal habits, and may increase the manufacturing capability of supercritical fluid based crystallization and precipitation technologies.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and devices for producing particles with an average diameter less than about 15 ?m using the precipitation with compressed fluid-antisolvent (PCA) process and the carbon-dioxide assisted nebulization with a bubble dryer (CAN-BD) process. In the methods and nozzles of the invention, at least one jet of supercritical or near-supercritical fluid and at least one jet of solution interact to mix the supercritical or near-supercritical fluid and the solution within a chamber. The solution contains at least one solvent and at least one solute. At least one of the jets is a swirling jet. To form particles, the solvent and supercritical or near-supercritical fluid are then injected into a PCA or a CAN-BD process chamber. The degree of mixing depends in part on the power input into the mixing chamber. Power inputs of about 6.5×109 W/m3 enhance the degree of mixing and allow production of nanoscale particles with the PCA process.