Liquid-tight and gas-permeable chitosan-based capsule

DESCRIPTION

• A capsule made of:
  - An inner semi-solid particle including e.g. feeding media and volatile components
  - An intercalary film (10 to 50nm) made of polystyrene and beeswax
  - An outer thin chitosan-based membrane (90 to 130nm)
• The one-step method for producing such capsule:
  - With an adjustable diameter (from 20µm to 1000µm)
  - With an adjustable permeability degree
  - Without limitation toward high-throughput industrial scale production.
• Functionalities including:
  - Gas-permeability: diffusion of volatile compounds
  - Liquid-impermeability even on recurrent perforation, maintaining the inner shell hydrated and sterile
  - Integrity maintenance of capsule and content in various solvents (aqueous, organic, oil, concentrated acid or base solutions, sodium hypochloride) and temperature (60°C)

APPLICATIONS

• Feeding/breeding of arthropods, including insects, arachnids and parasitoids, especiallywith small perforating apparatus
• Other applications by encapsulating therapeutic, nutritive or cosmetic compounds
• Controlled release of volatile active ingredients