Embedding of Liquids into Water-Soluble Materials via Additive Manufacturing for Timed Release

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Additive manufacturing (AM) offers customization for unique product requirements.
• Controlling the release of active agents over time is crucial for many applications.
• Directly printing active agents using melt-based AM is challenging due to thermal degradation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel method for controlled release of active agents using additive manufacturing.
• To circumvent the limitations of directly printing active agents at high temperatures.
• To demonstrate the in situ embedding of active agents into 3D-printed water-soluble structures.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing dissolvable materials as a matrix for 3D printing.
• Designing a priori voids within water-soluble capsules for agent embedding.
• In situ deposition of liquid and powdered active agents into printed structures.
• Varying printed part geometry (wall thickness, multi-chamber design) to control release profiles.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated in situ embedding of liquids and powders into water-soluble printed capsules.
• Showcased the ability to tune dissolution times by adjusting wall thickness, creating delayed release.
• Achieved multi-staged release by designing capsules with multiple chambers.
• Validated the customization of release profiles on a per-part basis.

Conclusions:

• The developed technique enables precise, customized control over the release of active agents.
• This method overcomes thermal degradation issues associated with direct printing of actives.
• Offers significant potential for creating tailored delivery systems for pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and other active substances.