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Published on: August 16, 2014
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Characterization of Controlled Release Microspheres Using FIB-SEM and Image-Based Release Prediction
Shawn Zhang1, Dan Wu2, Liping Zhou3
1DigiM Solution LLC, 67 South Bedford Street, Suite 400 West, Burlington, Massachusetts, 01803, USA. shawn.zhang@digimsolution.com.
AAPS Pharmscitech
|July 16, 2020
Summary
Advanced imaging and AI analytics characterize drug particles and pores in polymer microspheres. This enables rapid, accurate prediction of drug release kinetics, improving controlled-release product development.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Polymer-based controlled release drug products rely on internal structure for performance.
- Conventional methods struggle with the resolution and speed needed for complex microscale drug delivery systems.
- Understanding drug distribution and microporosity is crucial for predicting drug release kinetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the internal structure of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres.
- To develop a rapid method for predicting drug release profiles.
- To gain mechanistic insights into porosity effects on drug release.
Main Methods:
- Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM) imaging at nanoscale resolution.
- Artificial intelligence (AI)-based image analytics for quantifying drug particle and pore size distributions.
- Image-based numerical simulations for predicting drug release profiles.
Main Results:
- Detailed size distributions of drug particles and pores were obtained for microspheres (30-80 μm).
- Drug release profiles were accurately predicted within days, irrespective of designed release duration.
- Mechanistic understanding of porosity's role in drug-release dynamics was achieved.
Conclusions:
- High-resolution imaging combined with AI analytics offers superior characterization of controlled-release microspheres.
- Image-based simulations provide a rapid and effective tool for predicting drug release kinetics.
- This approach enhances the understanding and development of advanced polymer-based drug delivery systems.
Keywords:
Drug particle inside microsphereImage-based release simulationMicroporosityQuantitative charactorizationFocused ion beam scanning electron microscopyMore Related Videos
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