Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2025
08:30
Microinjectrode System for Combined Drug Infusion and Electrophysiology
Published on: November 13, 2019
6.9K
Soft Injectable Sutures for Dose-Controlled and Continuous Drug Delivery.
Mossab K Alsaedi1,2, Omar Lone1,3, Hojatollah Rezaei Nejad1,4,5
1Nano Lab, Advanced Technology Laboratory, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
Macromolecular Bioscience
|October 16, 2023
Summary
New drug-carrying sutures offer painless, localized, and sustained transdermal delivery for weeks. This innovative method overcomes limitations of injections and microneedles for effective drug administration.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Transdermal drug delivery bypasses limitations of oral and hypodermic injection methods.
- Microneedles offer painless delivery but are limited in drug volume and practicality.
- Existing methods face challenges with pain, dose, absorption, and retention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate soft injectable sutures for painless, localized, and sustained transdermal drug delivery.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of using sutures as microfluidic channels for long-term drug release.
- To compare the efficacy of suture-based delivery with conventional methods.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of drug-carrying injectable sutures designed for dermal implantation.
- Utilizing sutures as capillary microfluidic channels connected to a wearable reservoir.
- Quantifying drug delivery rates and durations using 5-fluorouracil and rhodamine B models.
Main Results:
- A 60 cm suture delivered 0.43 mg of 5-fluorouracil in 15 minutes.
- Sustained delivery of rhodamine B for over 8 weeks at a rate of 0.0195 mL/h.
- Demonstrated suitability for all skin types and effective retention during delivery.
Conclusions:
- Soft injectable sutures represent a promising platform for long-term, sustained transdermal drug delivery.
- This technology offers advantages over hypodermic injections, oral ingestion, and microneedles for localized therapy.
- Sutures provide a versatile and effective solution for delivering varying drug quantities over extended periods.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes
361
Drug delivery methods like oral inhalation, nasal sprays, transdermal patches, eye drops, intravitreal injection, and rectal administration provide localized effects with reduced toxicity.
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs...
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs...
361
01:29Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route
580
The parenteral route is a critical method of drug administration. It delivers compounds directly into the systemic circulation and bypasses the gastrointestinal tract. This approach is particularly advantageous for drugs that exhibit poor absorption or instability when administered orally.
There are three primary parenteral routes: intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC). The IV route introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, ensuring immediate action. The IM route...
There are three primary parenteral routes: intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC). The IV route introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, ensuring immediate action. The IM route...
580
01:25Routes of Drug Administration: Parenteral
2.0K
The administration of drugs via parenteral routes allows for direct drug introduction into the systemic circulation, resulting in high bioavailability because the medication bypasses the harsh conditions of the gastrointestinal tract and hepatic metabolism.
The intravenous route (IV) of drug administration can be further categorized into two types. The bolus injection administers the entire dose rapidly, while an intravenous infusion slowly delivers smaller doses steadily.
The IV route is often...
The intravenous route (IV) of drug administration can be further categorized into two types. The bolus injection administers the entire dose rapidly, while an intravenous infusion slowly delivers smaller doses steadily.
The IV route is often...
2.0K
01:16Drug Delivery: Overview
302
The selection of a drug's delivery route depends upon its physicochemical properties, including lipid or water solubility and ionization, as well as the therapeutic requirement, such as immediate or sustained effect. These routes can be divided into three primary categories: enteral, parenteral, and topical.
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the...
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the...
302
01:18Drug Delivery: Enteral Route
473
The enteral drug administration involves three primary routes: oral, sublingual, and buccal. Oral ingestion is the most prevalent, safe, economical, and convenient method for drug administration. However, it has certain drawbacks, including limited absorption due to the drug's low water solubility or poor membrane permeability, possible emesis from GI mucosa irritation, destruction of drugs by digestive enzymes or low gastric pH, and irregular absorption along with food or other drugs.
473
01:01Dosage Regimen: Fixed Dose
1.9K
Fixed-dose regimens are a common approach to administer drugs to achieve and maintain desired levels of the drug in the body. In this dosing strategy, a specific amount of medication is given at regular intervals, often multiple times a day, to ensure a consistent drug concentration in the bloodstream.
Fixed-dose regimens can be used for various routes of administration, including intravenous (IV) injections and oral medications. For IV administration, a predetermined amount of the drug is...
Fixed-dose regimens can be used for various routes of administration, including intravenous (IV) injections and oral medications. For IV administration, a predetermined amount of the drug is...
1.9K