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Stereolithography Apparatus Evolution: Enhancing Throughput and Efficiency of Pharmaceutical Formulation Development.
Carlo Curti1, Daniel J Kirby1, Craig A Russell1
1School of Pharmacy, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK.
Pharmaceutics
|April 30, 2021
Summary
This study introduces a novel Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing apparatus for rapid pharmaceutical formulation screening. The modified SLA system significantly improves efficiency and reduces costs for developing personalized medicines.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Science
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Vat photopolymerisation (VP) techniques, particularly Stereolithography (SLA), show promise for on-demand personalized medicine due to high resolution and room temperature operation.
- Conventional SLA systems face throughput limitations and restricted choices of biocompatible materials, hindering pharmaceutical development.
- There is a need for advanced SLA technologies to accelerate the screening of pharmaceutical photopolymer formulations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel SLA apparatus for rapid and efficient screening of pharmaceutical photopolymer formulations.
- To modify a commercial SLA system to enable simultaneous printing of multiple formulations.
- To assess the efficiency and printability of the developed system for pharmaceutical applications.
Main Methods:
- A commercial SLA 3D printer was modified with a new resin tank and build platform.
- The modified apparatus was designed to print up to 12 different formulations concurrently, reducing resin usage by 20-fold.
- A high-throughput screening of 156 placebo photopolymer formulations was conducted using the novel SLA system.
Main Results:
- The modified SLA apparatus demonstrated significant improvements in time (91.66%) and cost (94.99%) efficiency.
- High-quality and highly printable outputs were achieved, validating the system's effectiveness.
- The system successfully enabled rapid screening of numerous pharmaceutical photopolymer formulations.
Conclusions:
- The developed novel SLA apparatus is a robust and reliable tool for optimizing throughput and efficiency in pharmaceutical formulation development.
- This advancement supports the accelerated development of personalized medicines using vat photopolymerisation techniques.
- The modified SLA system has the potential to significantly impact future clinical applications of 3D-printed pharmaceuticals.
