UK-based biotech companyFabRxhas announced the official launch of its new pressure-detecting semi-solid extruder (SSE) printhead; the SSE Laguna.
To guarantee print uniformity while printing semi-solid doses, this new patent-protected quality control system employs a specifically designed pressure-feedback system in accordance with FabRx’s M3DIMAKER STUDIO software.
什么were the results obtained from the research?
SSE is a 3D printing method that employs a syringe-based printhead to extrude a gel or paste-like material to produce the desired object. According to FabRx, SSE has already been employed in pharmaceuticals to create formulations for human clinical trials. To further assist its clinical implementation, the usage of a pressure sensor for quality assurance purposes could provide data on the printability of the feedstock material in situ and within precise printing conditions.
The goal of this study was to incorporate a pressure sensor into an SSE pharmaceutical 3D printer for material characterization along with process analytical technology (PAT) to oversee the 3D printing process. In this analysis, three distinct materials (soft vaseline, paste-like mass, and gel-like mass) were assessed under 12 distinct conditions by varying temperature, flow rate, or nozzle diameter. For the first time, a pressure sensor was used to characterize the rheological characteristics of the inks, that displayed temperature-dependent, plastic, and viscoelastic behaviors. Managing critical material properties and 3D printing process variables may enable a quality-by-design (QbD) method to facilitate a high-fidelity 3D printing process, which is essential for the future of personalized medicine.
在目前的研究中,附加压力传感器ed to the 3D printer’s extrusion barrel for real-time recording of the flow behavior of semi-solid masses via small-gauge nozzles employed in printlet production. The usage of a syringe throughout printing, along with the 3D printing platform itself, eradicates many parameters that would have to be monitored if the tests were conducted in a conventional manner, namely, using a texturometer, rheometer, or other equipment to examine the ink candidates prior to printing. In a nutshell, the developed setup enabled brief experiments to be carried out with the printing platform itself. This not only simulates the accurate printing conditions but also allows 3D printing to begin immediately with the labeled optimal parameter values.
The pressure-instrumented SSE motor-driven printhead (Laguna SSE printhead) and its control software system enabled mass characterization under printing conditions. By using the same heating chamber, syringe, and nozzle, it was possible to simulate the plunger’s motions over the mass throughout the printing process, allowing the mechanical characteristics of the mass to be determined in situ. Numerous other covariates, such as thermal diffusion or flows through the nozzle and syringe barrel walls, are eliminated.
Semi-solid extrusion technologies in the additive manufacturing sector
Previously, a group of researchers fromNagoya City Universityin Japan created a novel type of 3D bioprinted drug delivery system using fish gelatin. The researchers printed three distinct patch shapes using a半固体挤出生物生产商：一个圆柱体，圆环（甜甜圈）和网状线。使用的水凝胶含有半合成聚合物，将鱼明胶作为主要成分。之所以选择动物，是因为鱼类明胶相对便宜，并且与任何个人或宗教信仰没有冲突。然后，补丁填充了DOX化合物，团队开始评估其释放率。
此外，一群希腊和意大利研究人员研究了3D打印作为涂料技术的应用，以定制特定于患者的药物的释放率。研究人员通过将其部分涂层与semi-solid extrusion 3D printing technology. Utilizing experimental design methods, the team was able to customize the chosen APIs release profile by adjusting different parameters of the 3D printing coating process.
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Feature image shows a schematic view of the M3DIMAKER printing platform equipped with Laguna SSE printhead. Image via FabRx.
