Abstract
Abstract Photopolymerizing, high-resolution 3D printing methods such as Stereolithography (SLA) or Digital Light Processing (DLP) are very promising for the manufacturing of drug-incorporated, patient specific implants. However, a drug-load may be limited by adequately solubility of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in the photopolymer. Furthermore, a drug-load may affect the mechanical properties of the material negatively. Here, we investigate the DLP 3D printing of drugincorporated photopolymers. Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA, Mn = 700 g/mol) is used as matrix polymer and Dexamethasone (DEX) is used for drug-loading (10 g/L and 20 g/L). Compressive properties, drug release and drug stability of 3D printed test samples were analyzed. DEX was found to be sparingly soluble in the PEGDA-based photopolymer. Not all drug particles can be dissolved at a concentration of 20 g/L and a slurry-like suspension is formed. Drug-incorporated photopolymers of 10 g/L (solution) and 20 g/L (suspension) were processed successfully via DLP. The higher the drug-load, the lower the compressive strength. Mechanical properties can be improved via a post-curing in a UV light curing box. Drug-incorporated 3D printed test samples show burst-release of DEX. The post-curing process does not affect drug release. DEX degrades in 3D-printed test samples significantly (~ 30 %) over a several days time period.
Highlights
This study deals with the Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing of a Dexamethasone (DEX)-incorporated Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA)-based photopolymer
After finishing the DLP 3D printing process, all samples were washed for a few seconds with isopropanol (>99%, Sigma Aldrich Chemie GmbH, Munich, Germany) to remove unpolymerized liquid photopolymer
The test samples were manufactured via the described DLP 3D printing process with and without utilizing the post-curing process
Summary
This study deals with the DLP 3D printing of a Dexamethasone (DEX)-incorporated Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA)-based photopolymer. PEGDA is a biocompatible, photopolymerizable material and known to be relevant for DDS [3][4]. DEX is a corticosteroid used as an anti-inflammatory agent [5]
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