Researchers Developed 3D Printed Pills For Administration Of Medication

Sep, 2022 - By SMI

In order to establish a more individualised approach to oral treatment, researchers have created a technology to 3D print tablets and fine adjust release.

A method that allows for the 3D printing of medicinal tablets using several kinds of starch has been devised by researchers at the University of the Basque Country. The researchers can fine-tune drug release such that it is either rapid or delayed by changing the types of starch utilised and the shape of the tablets. The encapsulated medicine can be fully released in as short as ten minutes or as long as six hours, giving great flexibility to meet a wide range of therapeutic scenarios. For patient cohorts like small infants and the elderly who require particular dose regimens, the method may enable more individualised treatment. Delivering hydrophobic medications, which are normally difficult to synthesise because they won't dissolve in water, is another advantage of the method.

The researchers used starch, a naturally occurring substance, to make their customised pills. Bi-phasic release was produced by the researchers by combining two different forms of starch, enabling more sophisticated uses. In the event of an infection, an antibiotic might be delivered more steadily in a later stage using one of the other two types of starch while a medication may be released right away to relieve pain in the initial stage using regular maize starch.

Moreover, the simplest method of medicine delivery is, in some ways, oral dosage, which involves having a patient simply swallow a tablet. The doses that are accessible for some patients, however, are not that varied. Such patients will frequently benefit from various release profiles and often require different doses than typical adult doses. This is valid for patients with varying degrees of illness severity, and the best dose and release profile for a given patient may also depend on factors including genetics and gender.