Scientists from the University of Edinburgh have developed a new bijel technology. The new technology is a type of gel material, which is a broadly applicable vehicle for improved formulation and delivery of active ingredients, including controlled or triggered release of drug compounds, flavours and fragrances.
The particular nature of the bijel materials results in access to tunability of properties by design, providing an opportunity to focus and enhance the effect of functional constituents.
Controlled or triggered release of active ingredients is a key feature of products across the healthcare, personal care, home care and agrochemical industries.
Edinburgh's bijel design can provide for a range of different release profiles and triggers, including temperature, salt, pH, pressure and shear to meet product requirements.
It also allows bicontinuous gels to be prepared from a range of components without the need for surfactants or polymers, as well as the simultaneous delivery of materials that may be considered incompatible using conventional approaches, eg differing solubility characteristics.
Key Benefits
- Green and cost-effective preparation of gel materials – eliminating need for surfactant and polymer additives
- Vehicle for triggered or sustained release of diverse active ingredients – improving product effectiveness, handling and safety
- Simultaneous delivery of otherwise ‘incompatible’ constituents from a single system enabled
- Enhanced gel stability for better formulation lifetime
Applications
- Drug delivery and release vehicle
- Sustained or triggered release formulation for flavours within food and beverage products
- Sustained or triggered release formulation for fragrances within personal care and home care products
- Safe delivery system for agrochemicals (insecticides, plant care, herbicides)
IP Status
Gel materials have been successfully produced from a range of different liquid components using the bijel approach. This includes bijels made from human-friendly ingredients and in microcapsule form.
International patent applications have been made and published under WO2006/003403 with a priority date of 1st July 2004. The European patent application was granted in February 2010 and the US patent was granted in April 2011.
The University of Edinburgh is seeking to license the bijels technology to a commercial organisation with a view to introducing products within specific market areas.
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