The EyeFlowCell: Development of a 3D-Printed Dissolution Test Setup for Intravitreal Dosage Forms

An in vitro dissolution model, the so-called EyeFlowCell (EFC), was developed to test intravitreal dosage forms, simulating parameters such as the gel-like consistency of the vitreous body. The developed model consists of a stereolithography 3D-printed flow-through cell with a polyacrylamide (PAA) gel as its core. This gel needed to be coated with an agarose sheath because of its low viscosity. Drug release from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-based implants containing either triamcinolone acetonide or fluorescein sodium was studied in the EFC using a schematic eye movement by the EyeMovementSystem (EyeMoS). For comparison, studies were performed in USP apparatus 4 and USP apparatus 7. Significantly slower drug release was observed in the PAA gel for both model drugs compared with the compendial methods. Drug release from fluorescein sodium-containing model implants was completed after 40 min in USP apparatus 4, whereas drug release in the gel-based EFC lasted 72 h. Drug release from triamcinolone acetonide-containing model implants was completed after 35 min in USP apparatus 4 and after 150 min in USP apparatus 7, whereas this was delayed until 96 h in the EFC. These results suggest that compendial release methods may overestimate the drug release rate in the human vitreous body. Using a gel-based in vitro release system such as the EFC may better predict drug release.