title: Three-Dimensional Printed PCL-Based Implantable Prototypes of Medical Devices for Controlled Drug Delivery.
abstract: The goal of the present study was to fabricate drug-containing T-shaped prototypes of intrauterine system (IUS) with the drug incorporated within the entire backbone of the medical device using 3-dimensional (3D) printing technique, based on fused deposition modeling (FDM™). Indomethacin was used as a model drug to prepare drug-loaded poly(ε-caprolactone)-based filaments with 3 different drug contents, namely 5%, 15%, and 30%, by hot-melt extrusion. The filaments were further used to 3D print IUS. The results showed that the morphology and drug solid-state properties of the filaments and 3D prototypes were dependent on the amount of drug loading. The drug release profiles from the printed devices were faster than from the corresponding filaments due to a lower degree of the drug crystallinity in IUS in addition to the differences in the external/internal structure and geometry between the products. Diffusion of the drug from the polymer was the predominant mechanism of drug release, whereas poly(ε-caprolactone) biodegradation had a minor effect. This study shows that 3D printing is an applicable method in the production of drug-containing IUS and can open new ways in the fabrication of controlled release implantable devices.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holländer
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland; Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Natalja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Genina
authors.affiliation: Bayer AG, Finland.
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jukarainen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Polymer Technology, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khajeheian
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Polymer Technology, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosling
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Industrial Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Ermei
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mäkilä
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland. Electronic address: niklas.sandler@abo.fi.
authors.forename: Niklas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sandler
mesh_terms: D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004343:Drug Implants / Q000737:chemistry*; D065546:Drug Liberation; D004867:Equipment Design; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D012995:Solubility; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D004343:Drug Implants; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone; D007213:Indomethacin
keywords: 3D printing; PCL polymer; controlled drug delivery; hot-melt extrusion; indomethacin; medical devices