3D Printing of Thermo-Sensitive Drugs

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is among the rapidly evolving technologies with applications in many sectors. The pharmaceutical industry is no exception, and the approval of the first 3D-printed tablet (Spiratam®) marked a revolution in the field. Several studies reported the fabrication of different dosage forms using a range of 3D printing techniques. Thermosensitive drugs compose a considerable segment of available medications in the market requiring strict temperature control during processing to ensure their efficacy and safety. Heating involved in some of the 3D printing technologies raises concerns regarding the feasibility of the techniques for printing thermolabile drugs. Studies reported that semi-solid extrusion (SSE) is the commonly used printing technique to fabricate thermosensitive drugs. Digital light processing (DLP), binder jetting (BJ), and stereolithography (SLA) can also be used for the fabrication of thermosensitive drugs as they do not involve heating elements. Nonetheless, degradation of some drugs by light source used in the techniques was reported. Interestingly, fused deposition modelling (FDM) coupled with filling techniques offered protection against thermal degradation. Concepts such as selection of low melting point polymers, adjustment of printing parameters, and coupling of more than one printing technique were exploited in printing thermosensitive drugs. This systematic review presents challenges, 3DP procedures, and future directions of 3D printing of thermo-sensitive formulations.

Download Full-text

Three-dimensional Printing Versus Conventional Machining in the Creation of a Meatal Urethral Dilator: a Cost and Mechanical Strength Analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-28817/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Michael Yue-Cheng Chen ◽

Jacob Skewes ◽

Ryan Daley ◽

Maria Ann Woodruff ◽

Nicholas John Rukin

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Patient Specific ◽

Strength Analysis ◽

Fused Deposition Modelling ◽

3D Printer ◽

Current Time ◽

Fused Deposition ◽

3D Printed ◽

Conventional Machining

Abstract BackgroundThree-dimensional (3D) printing is a promising technology but the limitations are often poorly understood. We compare different 3D printingmethods with conventional machining techniques in manufacturing meatal urethral dilators which were recently removed from the Australian market. MethodsA prototype dilator was 3D printed vertically orientated on a low cost fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printer in polylactic acid (PLA) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). It was also 3D printed horizontally orientated in ABS on a high-end FDM 3D printer with soluble support material, as well as on a SLS 3D printer in medical nylon. The dilator was also machined in stainless steel using a lathe. All dilators were tested mechanically in a custom rig by hanging calibrated weights from the handle until the dilator snapped. ResultsThe horizontally printed ABS dilator experienced failure at a greater load than the vertically printed PLA and ABS dilators respectively (503g vs 283g vs 163g, p < 0.001). The SLS nylon dilator and machined steel dilator did not fail. The steel dilator is most expensive with a quantity of five at 98 USD each, but this decreases to 30 USD each for a quantity of 1000. In contrast, the cost for the SLS dilator is 33 USD each for five and 27 USD each for 1000. ConclusionsAt the current time 3D printing is not a replacement for conventional manufacturing. 3D printing is best used for patient-specific parts, prototyping or manufacturing complex parts that have additional functionality that cannot otherwise beachieved.

Download Full-text

An overview on 3D Printed Medicine

Material Science Research India ◽

10.13005/msri/180102 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 07-13

Author(s):

Neha Thakur ◽

Hari Murthy

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Fused Deposition Modeling ◽

Low Cost ◽

Selective Laser Sintering ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Herbal Medicines ◽

Fused Deposition ◽

Digitally Controlled ◽

3D Printed ◽

Semi Solid

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is a digitally-controlled additive manufacturing technique used for fast prototyping. This paper reviews various 3D printing techniques like Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused Deposition Modeling, (FDM), Semi-solid extrusion (SSE), Stereolithography (SLA), Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) Printing, and Binder jetting 3D Printing along with their application in the field of medicine. Normal medicines are based on the principle of “one-size-fits-all”. This is not true always, it is possible medicine used for curing one patient is giving some side effects to another. To overcome this drawback “3D Printed medicines” are developed. In this paper, 3D printed medicines forming different Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) are reviewed. Printed medicines are capable of only curing the diseases, not for the diagnosis. Nanomedicines have “theranostic” ability which combines therapeutic and diagnostic. Nanoparticles are used as the drug delivery system (DDS) to damaged cells’ specific locations. By the use of nanomedicine, the fast recovery of the disease is possible. The plant-based nanoparticles are used with herbal medicines which give low-cost and less toxic medication called nanobiomedicine. 4D and 5D printing technology for the medical field are also enlightened in this paper.

Download Full-text

Parameters Affecting the Mechanical Properties of Three-Dimensional (3D) Printed Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polylactide Composites

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym12112456 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 2456

Author(s):

Demei Lee ◽

Guan-Yu Wu

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Carbon Fiber ◽

3D Printing ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Fused Deposition Modelling ◽

Layer By Layer ◽

Fused Deposition ◽

Bed Temperature ◽

3D Printed ◽

The Impact

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a manufacturing technology which creates three-dimensional objects layer-by-layer or drop-by-drop with minimal material waste. Despite the fact that 3D printing is a versatile and adaptable process and has advantages in establishing complex and net-shaped structures over conventional manufacturing methods, the challenge remains in identifying the optimal parameters for the 3D printing process. This study investigated the influence of processing parameters on the mechanical properties of Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM)-printed carbon fiber-filled polylactide (CFR-PLA) composites by employing an orthogonal array model. After printing, the tensile and impact strengths of the printed composites were measured, and the effects of different parameters on these strengths were examined. The experimental results indicate that 3D-printed CFR-PLA showed a rougher surface morphology than virgin PLA. For the variables selected in this analysis, bed temperature was identified as the most influential parameter on the tensile strength of CFR-PLA-printed parts, while bed temperature and print orientation were the key parameters affecting the impact strengths of printed composites. The 45° orientation printed parts also showed superior mechanical strengths than the 90° printed parts.

Download Full-text

3D Printing for Hip Implant Applications: A Review

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym12112682 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 2682

Author(s):

Obinna Okolie ◽

Iwona Stachurek ◽

Balasubramanian Kandasubramanian ◽

James Njuguna

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Hip Replacement ◽

Selective Laser Sintering ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Ceramic Materials ◽

Fused Deposition Modelling ◽

Fused Deposition ◽

Replacement Treatment ◽

Determining Factors ◽

3D Printed

There is a rising demand for replacement, regeneration of tissues and organ repairs for patients who suffer from diseased/damaged bones or tissues such as hip pains. The hip replacement treatment relies on the implant, which may not always meet the requirements due to mechanical and biocompatibility issues which in turn may aggravate the pain. To surpass these limitations, researchers are investigating the use of scaffolds as another approach for implants. Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers significant potential as an efficient fabrication technique on personalized organs as it is capable of biomimicking the intricate designs found in nature. In this review, the determining factors for hip replacement and the different fabrication techniques such as direct 3D printing, Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and stereolithography (SLA) for hip replacement. The study also covers surface modifications of 3D printed implants and provides an overview on 3D tissue regeneration. To appreciate the current conventional hip replacement practices, the conventional metallic and ceramic materials are covered, highlighting their rationale as the material of choice. Next, the challenges, ethics and trends in the implants’ 3D printing are covered and conclusions drawn. The outlook and challenges are also presented here. The knowledge from this review indicates that 3D printing has enormous potential for providing a pathway for a sustainable hip replacement.

Download Full-text

Surface Roughness Effect on the 3d Printed Butt Joints Strength

Proceedings of the 8th International Scientific Conference "BALTTRIB 2015" ◽

10.15544/balttrib.2015.21 ◽

2015 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

V. Kovan ◽

G. Altan ◽

E.S. Topal ◽

H.E. Camurlu

Keyword(s):

Surface Roughness ◽

Additive Manufacturing ◽

3D Printing ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Thickness Effect ◽

Fused Deposition Modelling ◽

Three Dimensional Printing ◽

Fused Deposition ◽

3D Printed ◽

Dimensional Object

Three-dimensional printing or 3D printing (also called additive manufacturing) is any of various processes used to make a three-dimensional object. Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing technology commonly used for modelling, prototyping, and production applications. It is one of the techniques used for 3D printing. FDM is somewhat restricted in the size and the variation of shapes that may be fabricated. For parts too large to fit on a single build, for faster job builds with less support material, or for parts with finer features, sectioning and bonding FDM parts is a great solution. The strength of adhesive bonded FDM parts is affected by the surface roughness. In this study, the layer thickness effect on bonding strength is experimentally studied and the results are discussed.

Download Full-text

Evaluation of Tensile Properties and Damage of Continuous Fibre Reinforced 3D-Printed Parts

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.774.161 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 774 ◽

pp. 161-166 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Octavio Andrés González-Estrada ◽

Alberto Pertuz ◽

Jabid E. Quiroga Mendez

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Tensile Properties ◽

Mechanical Performance ◽

Volume Fraction ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Tensile Tests ◽

Fused Deposition Modelling ◽

Printing Process ◽

Fused Deposition ◽

3D Printed

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has been traditionally used for the production of prototypes. Recently, developments in 3D printing using Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and reinforcement with continuous fibres (fiberglass and carbon fibre), have allowed the manufacture of functional prototypes, considerably improving the mechanical performance of the composite parts. In this work, we characterise the elastic tensile properties of fibre reinforced specimens, considering the variation of several parameters available during the printing process: fibre orientation, volume fraction, fill pattern, reinforcement distribution. Tensile tests were performed according to ASTM D638 to obtain Young’s modulus and ultimate strength for different material configurations available during the printing process. We also perform a fractographic analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to give an insight of the failure mechanisms present in the specimens.

Download Full-text

Influence of the Infill Geometry of 3D-Printed Tablets on Drug Dissolution

Medical Sciences Forum ◽

10.3390/msf2021005015 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 15

Author(s):

Nuno Venâncio ◽

Gabriela G. Pereira ◽

João F. Pinto ◽

Ana I. Fernandes

Keyword(s):

Three Dimensional ◽

Drug Dissolution ◽

Fused Deposition Modelling ◽

Three Dimensional Printing ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

Fused Deposition ◽

3D Printed ◽

Dimensional Printing ◽

Hot Melt ◽

Patient Centric

Patient-centric therapy is especially important in pediatrics and may be attained by three-dimensional printing. Filaments containing 30% w/w of theophylline were produced by hot-melt extrusion and printed using fused deposition modelling to produce tablets. Here, preliminary results evaluating the effect of infill geometry (cross, star, grid) on drug content and release are reported.

Download Full-text

Investigations of process parameters during dissolution studies of drug loaded 3D printed tablets

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part H Journal of Engineering in Medicine ◽

10.1177/0954411921993582 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 095441192199358

Author(s):

Varun Sharma ◽

Khaja Moinuddin Shaik ◽

Archita Choudhury ◽

Pramod Kumar ◽

Prateek Kala ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dissolution Rate ◽

Process Parameters ◽

Empirical Relation ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Critical Parameters ◽

Fused Deposition Modelling ◽

Fused Deposition ◽

Rate Of Dissolution ◽

3D Printed ◽

Percentage Release

The present research paper attempts to study the effect of different process parameters on the dissolution rate during 3D printed tablets. Three-dimensional printing has the potential of serving tailored made tablets to cater personalized drug delivery systems. Fluorescein loaded PVA filaments through impregnation route was used to fabricate tablets based on Taguchi based design of experimentation using Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). The effect of print speed, infill percentage and layer thickness were analyzed to study the effect on rate of dissolution. Infill percentage followed by print speed were found to be critical parameters affecting dissolution rate. The data analysis provided an insight into the study of interaction among different 3D printing parameters to develop an empirical relation for percentage release of the drug in human body.

Download Full-text

Use of polymer concrete for large-scale 3D printing

Rapid Prototyping Journal ◽

10.1108/rpj-12-2019-0316 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 465-474

Author(s):

Martin Krčma ◽

David Škaroupka ◽

Petr Vosynek ◽

Tomáš Zikmund ◽

Jozef Kaiser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Large Scale ◽

Mechanical Performance ◽

Construction Material ◽

Polymer Concrete ◽

Fused Deposition Modelling ◽

Cast State ◽

Content Type ◽

Fused Deposition ◽

3D Printed

Purpose This paper aims to focus on the evaluation of a polymer concrete as a three-dimensional (3D) printing material. An associated company has developed plastic concrete made from reused unrecyclable plastic waste. Its intended use is as a construction material. Design/methodology/approach The concrete mix, called PolyBet, composed of polypropylene and glass sand, is printed by the fused deposition modelling process. The process of material and parameter selection is described. The mechanical properties of the filled material were compared to its cast state. Samples were made from castings and two different orientations of 3D-printed parts. Three-point flex tests were carried out, and the area of the break was examined. Computed tomography of the samples was carried out. Findings The influence of the 3D printing process on the material was evaluated. The mechanical performance of the longitudinal samples was close to the cast state. There was a difference in the failure mode between the states, with cast parts exhibiting a tougher behaviour, with fractures propagating in a stair-like manner. The 3D-printed samples exhibited high degrees of porosity. Originality/value The results suggest that the novel material is a good fit for 3D printing, with little to no degradation caused by the process. Layer adhesion was shown to be excellent, with negligible effect on the finished part for the longitudinal orientation. That means, if large-scale testing of buildability is successful, the material is a good fit for additive manufacturing of building components and other large-scale structures.

Download Full-text

Mechanical Properties of Diamond Schwarzites: From Atomistic Models to 3D-Printed Structures

MRS Advances ◽

10.1557/adv.2020.175 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (33-34) ◽

pp. 1775-1781 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Levi C. Felix ◽

Vladimir Gaál ◽

Cristiano F. Woellner ◽

Varlei Rodrigues ◽

Douglas S. Galvao

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

3D Printing ◽

Uniaxial Compression ◽

Chemical Vapour ◽

Md Simulations ◽

Atomic Model ◽

Fused Deposition Modelling ◽

Fused Deposition ◽

Structural Applications ◽

3D Printed

ABSTRACTTriply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) possess locally minimized surface area under the constraint of periodic boundary conditions. Different families of surfaces were obtained with different topologies satisfying such conditions. Examples of such families include Primitive (P), Gyroid (G) and Diamond (D) surfaces. From a purely mathematical subject, TPMS have been recently found in materials science as optimal geometries for structural applications. Proposed by Mackay and Terrones in 1991, schwarzites are 3D crystalline porous carbon nanocrystals exhibiting a TPMS-like surface topology. Although their complex topology poses serious limitations on their synthesis with conventional nanoscale fabrication methods, such as Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD), schwarzites can be fabricated by Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques, such as 3D Printing. In this work, we used an optimized atomic model of a schwarzite structure from the D family (D8bal) to generate a surface mesh that was subsequently used for 3D-printing through Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). This D schwarzite was 3D-printed with thermoplastic PolyLactic Acid (PLA) polymer filaments. Mechanical properties under uniaxial compression were investigated for both the atomic model and the 3D-printed one. Fully atomistic Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were also carried out to investigate the uniaxial compression behavior of the D8bal atomic model. Mechanical testings were performed on the 3D-printed schwarzite where the deformation mechanisms were found to be similar to those observed in MD simulations. These results are suggestive of a scale-independent mechanical behavior that is dominated by structural topology.

Download Full-text