title: Adjusting drug diffusivity using miscible polymer blends.
abstract: Tuning the release rates of drugs was accomplished with miscible polymer blends. Dexamethasone (DX) was formulated in a miscible polymer blend composed of two poly(ether urethane)s, one in which DX diffuses relatively quickly and the other in which DX diffuses relatively slowly. Matrices that provide drug diffusion coefficients from 7 x 10(-13) to 3 x 10(-19) cm2/s were obtained by adjusting the blend ratio. Tunable diffusion coefficients were also achieved with partially miscible blends, such as poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAC)/cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB). However, similar tunable diffusion was not observed with an immiscible polymer blend composed of poly(carbonate urethane) (PCU) and polysulfone (PSF).
authors.affiliation: Medtronic Technology Center LT 140, 710 Medtronic Parkway NE, Minneapolis, MN 55432, USA. suping.lyu@medtronic.com
authors.forename: Su-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.forename: Randall
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sparer
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hobot
authors.forename: Kiem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dang
mesh_terms: D004058:Diffusion; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011108:Polymers; D012996:Solutions