Rapid interferometric imaging of printed drug laden multilayer structures

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Advanced printing technologies enable the creation of personalized, micron-sized, nano-layered drug delivery systems.
• Ensuring the structural integrity and precise topography of these systems is critical for controlled drug release profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate layered polymer structures for drug delivery within microfluidic channels.
• To develop and validate a scanning white light interferometer (SWLI) method for quantitative, non-destructive quality assurance of these structures.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of layered polymer structures with potential active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) within a microfluidic channel.
• Application of scanning white light interferometry (SWLI) for non-invasive, rapid measurement of topography, thickness, and roughness.
• Assessment of inter-layer adhesion of the printed structures.

Main Results:

• SWLI successfully provided quantitative assurance of the topography of embedded layered structures.
• The method rapidly and non-destructively determined the thickness, roughness, and layer adhesion of the drug delivery systems.
• Demonstrated non-invasive measurement of polymer structures within a microfluidic channel.

Conclusions:

• Traceable interferometric 3D microscopy is a viable technique for detailed structural quality assurance of layered drug delivery systems.
• This approach is crucial for achieving predetermined drug release profiles.
• The methodology has potential applications within and beyond the life sciences.