Abstract
This paper proposes a novel, flexible, low cost administration patch which could be used as a non-invasive, controlled transdermal drug delivery system. The fabricated device consists in a flexible microfiber architecture heater covered with a thermoresponsive hydrogel, namely poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), as a matrix for the incorporation of active molecules. The manufacturing process consists of two main steps. First, the electrospun poly(methyl methacrylate) fiber networks are sputter coated with a thin gold layer and attached to flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrates to obtain the heating platforms. Second, the heaters are encapsulated in poly(ethylene terephthalate) foils and covered with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel sheets. In order to illustrate the functionality of the fabricated patch, the hydrogel layer is loaded with methylene blue aqueous solution and is afterwards heated via Joule effect, by applying a voltage on the metalized fibers. The methylene blue releasing profiles of the heated patch are compared with those of the unheated one and the influence of parameters such as hydrogel composition and morphology, as well as the applied voltage values for microheating are investigated. The results indicate that the fabricated patch can be used as a drug administration instrument, while its performance can be tuned depending on the targeted application.
Highlights
A thermoresponsive material frequently used in drug delivery applications is poly(N-isopropylacrilamide) based hydrogel (PNIPAM)
Electrospun polymer fiber networks covered with a thin gold layer and attached to flexible poly(ethylene thereftalate) (PET) substrates were employed as microstructured heaters
The power distribution through such conductive fiber networks was simulated with a numerical model and it was found that the simulation results are in good agreement with thermographic images captured during the heating process
Summary
A thermoresponsive material frequently used in drug delivery applications is poly(N-isopropylacrilamide) based hydrogel (PNIPAM) It can be synthesized using uncomplicated preparation methods, has great availability of starting materials and it offers the possibility to retain a drug solution at low temperature and to release it by heating up at the body temperature[13]. In the context of wearable electronics, electrospinning technique can play a key role by allowing the fabrication of fibers with submicron diameters[19] Metallization of these fibers allow their utilization as microheaters via Joule effect, while their specific microscopic structure increases the heating efficiency[20,21,22]. The obtained results indicate that the fabricated patch can be used as a drug administration instrument for applications in which the release process should be fast and precise
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