3D-Printed Melatonin Tablets with Braille Motifs for the Visually Impaired

Autor: Chrystalla Protopapa, Angeliki Siamidi, Aikaterini Sakellaropoulou, Siva Kolipaka, Laura Andrade Junqueira, Atabak Ghanizadeh Tabriz, Dennis Douroumis, Marilena Vlachou
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Pharmaceuticals, Vol 17, Iss 8, p 1017 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 17081017
1424-8247
DOI: 10.3390/ph17081017
Popis: An innovative approach for creating customized dosage forms and supporting patient populations with specific requirements who need additional support to improve drug adherence is 3D printing. This work introduces liquid crystal display (LCD) 3D printing as a means of developing melatonin (MLT) tablets. For patients who are blind or visually challenged, Braille patterns were displayed on the tablet surface in addition to the optimization of printing hydrogel inks. Owing to the great printing accuracy, blind patients could validate the Braille patterns that provided the required information. Upon further examination MLT was found to be present in the photopolymerized resins in an amorphous state. The choice of poly(ethylene glycol)-diacrylate (PEGDA) with varying molecular weights and the inclusion of surfactants or solubilizers interfered with the photopolymerization of the resin, hence controlling the rates of MLT dissolution towards the sought sustained release. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed that photopolymerization of the PEGDA resins in the printed dosage forms has taken place. A small batch scale-up investigation showed that LCDs could print a significant number of tablets quickly—about twenty-four minutes.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
Externí odkaz:
Nepřihlášeným uživatelům se plný text nezobrazuje