Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The localized delivery of drugs has been established since the early eighties of the 20th century as a promising alternative for the localized treatment of tumours, based on the mitigation of side effects produced by traditional methods, notably the administration of chemotherapy by systemic route. Countless scientific works have been dealing with this theme in an attempt to make this therapeutic technique viable and accessible. One of the ways to take the drug to the chosen site is through the use of microbubbles as drug carrier units activated through an ultrasonic field with adequate wavelength and frequency. Therefore, these units must have very peculiar characteristics, such as dimensions, homogeneity, echogenicity and structural characteristics, in addition to the ability to take the therapeutic vector intact to the desired location. In the generation of microbubbles, microfluidic devices of different geometries and different configurations are used, according to the state of the art related to this theme. DEVELOPMENT: In this work the technique used is the fabrication of micro fluidic devices using 3D printing. With this technique, it is possible to manufacture the devices in a single step, eliminating time-consuming and more complex intermediate procedures. The devices were manufactured using an Object Eden 250 printer, using the transparent resin VeroClear®. With these devices it was possible to produce microbubbles with diameters of the order of 16-73 µm with degrees of poly dispersion less than 1%. However, there are difficulties to be overcome, notably with regard to the final composition of the devices. Due to the physical characteristics of the microbubble, notably in relation to its lipid coating layer, the search for drug transport systems is an important strategy. CONCLUSION: In this work, an account of these difficulties will be made, in addition to the proposition of alternatives to overcome them. Additionally, compatible drugs will be suggested to be attached to microbubbles according to their structural composition.
Highlights
The localized delivery of drugs has been established since the early eighties of the 20th century as a promising alternative for the localized treatment of tumours, based on the mitigation of side effects produced by traditional methods, notably the administration of chemotherapy by systemic route
One of the ways to take the drug to the chosen site is through the use of microbubbles as drug carrier units activated through an ultrasonic field with adequate wavelength and frequency
The microfluidic systems manufactured in accordance with the aforementioned technique partially met the expectations, with microbubbles of the order of 16 - 73 μm in diameter having been obtained with degrees of poly dispersion smaller than 1% Araujo Filho, W
Summary
The use of microbubbles as auxiliary units in the diagnosis of diseases began in the 1980s of the 20th century Pancholi, K., E. The microfluidic systems manufactured in accordance with the aforementioned technique partially met the expectations, with microbubbles of the order of 16 - 73 μm in diameter having been obtained with degrees of poly dispersion smaller than 1% Araujo Filho, W. The microfluidic systems manufactured according to the aforementioned technique partially met the expectations regarding the uniformity of the population of microbubbles produced, and the obtainment of diameters close to the ideal, which is around 10μm (approximate size of a red cells). Due to the dimensioning of the gas phase channel diameter, the encapsulation procedure becomes very critical, causing large disposal of micropipettes in the process To overcome this difficulty, a new project for a microfluidic device is being proposed, aiming to eliminate the aforementioned critical procedure, which will certainly optimize the microbubble production process
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