Engineering news
A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a way to make personalised medicine cheaper and easier by creating a 3D printed shell which can be customised for each patient.
The pill, designed by assistant professor Soh Siow Ling and PhD student Sun Yajuan from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the NUS Faculty of Engineering, could contain all of a patient’s different medication for the day, which it would release at different times in the correct dosage.
The scientists used computer software to design a unique mould – the shape and length control when each drug is released in the body - which then instructs a 3D printer to manufacture the drug.
The tablet consists of three distinct components, including a polymer containing the drug in a specifically designed shape that will determine the rate of release of the drug. For example, a five-prong shape will allow the drug to be released in five pulses over time. By adjusting the shape of the drug-containing polymer, it is possible to release drugs at any desired rate.
A solution of surface-eroding polymer, which solidifies when cured under UV light, fills the gaps in between. This fully-customisable system can create templates for any release profile and can be modified to include multiple types of drugs loaded within the same tablet.
The 3D printer, called the UP Plus 2, could easily be operated by GPs, pharmacists or hospital staff.
Assistant professor Soh said: “For a long time, personalised tablets have been a mere concept as it was far too complex or expensive to be realised.
“This new tablet fabrication method is a game changer – it is technically simple, relatively inexpensive and versatile. It can be applied at individualised settings where physicians could produce customised pills on the spot for patients, or in mass production settings by pharmaceutical companies.”
The NUS team is currently doing further work to explore the various combination of materials for the different polymer-based components in the tablet to cater to various types of drugs and illnesses to increase the efficacy of this method.