Recent Survey on Patents of Nanoemulsions

Background: Colloidal systems are most prominent delivery systems mainly used as vehicles for the transportation, targeting the various types of biomolecules, proteins, peptides, synthetic medicinal agents. Objective: To provide concise information on patents that are directly or indirectly related to the nanoemulsions. Methods: The ample of research work going on with such system, in which small insoluble particle/droplets are dispersed within the immiscible secondary liquid referred to as continuous phase, is enormous. A highly praised colloidal system is nanoemulsion which possesses ‘nano’ sized droplets of one phase dispersed within second continuous phase. Results: The characteristic features of nanoemulsion are their optical clarity, clear or bluish tint appearance and small globule size (20-200 nm) which makes them insensitive to gravitational instability, dilution and temperature. Above of all, achieving said properties using lower surfactant concentration and by supplying external energy differentiate them from microemulsion, which uses higher amount of surfactant thereby making them toxic for human body. Due to such variable advantages, researchers are engaged in going for the protecting their ideas in nanoemulsions by filling various patents. Conclusion: Patents in this review, covers various areas (types of drug delivery and applications) where nanoemulsion are used. Literature revealed that filing of patents on nanoemulsion increased tremendously during last 5 years and will increase in upcoming time as 21st century will be called as the century of nanomedicine.