Abstract: The present invention provides a method for engineering particles for use in the delivery of drugs via inhalation and involves the use of an artificial respiratory airway that simulates a mammalian lung system to create an environment in which particles can be engineered. The method utilizes the inhalation flow rate created within the artificial respiratory airway to optimize the particle attributes, engineered by the method, to create particles that are tailored to the specific inhalation flow rates of different patients.

Abstract: A first embodiment of the invention provides a method of engineering changes in the morphological, chemical or physical features of a particle, to promote, for example, the formation of hairs and pores on the surface of the particle. The presence of these engineered features facilitating the delivery of agents to a target region, such as beclomethasone to the alveoli of the lungs. Although the particle acts to deliver desired agents to a target region, the particle itself may also be an agent. The invention also provides particles specifically engineered by the above method so as to produce carrier particles suitable for particular tasks.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing hollow, microporous particles which are intended, in particular, to be inhaled or for any other application. The inventive method consists in: providing a composition, in a given form, comprising at least one active principle and at least one blowing agent; cooling the aforementioned composition to below the solidification point of said at least one blowing agent so as to increase the volume of the given form and to create ruptures in the surface and/or in all of said given form, thereby enabling the structure of the hollow, microporous particle to be obtained; and removing all or part of said at least one blowing agent.