Caffeine comprising filament composition and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a filament composition containing caffeine and a method for manufacturing the same, and more specifically, to a filament composition for 3D printing and a method for manufacturing the same.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a filament composition containing caffeine and a method for manufacturing the same, and more specifically, to a filament composition for 3D printing and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] 3D printing technology is considered an innovative technology in the pharmaceutical field due to its strengths in creating pharmaceuticals of various formulations and producing patient-specific medicines. Furthermore, these advantages serve as a driving force for developing new treatments and can improve the safety and efficacy of medicines.

[0003] Recently, fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing methods have been gaining popularity in the 3D printing market. The FDM method involves melting 3D printing filament inside a nozzle and extruding it into a thin film to build up layers one by one. 3D printing using the FDM method is relatively inexpensive due to its simple structure that does not require a laser, and it has the advantage of allowing the use of various materials as 3D printing filaments.

[0004] Under this technical background, the inventors of the present application have confirmed that they can provide a filament composition for a 3D printer containing caffeine as a functional substance and a method for manufacturing the same, and have completed the present invention. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a 3D printer filament containing caffeine, a polymer, and a plasticizer using a single screw extruder.

[0006] The present invention also aims to provide a method for manufacturing a filament for a 3D printer. means of solving the problem

[0007] The present invention provides a filament composition for a 3D printer comprising caffeine, a polymer, and a plasticizer.

[0008] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a filament for a 3D printer, comprising the step of extruding the above composition with an extruder. Effects of the invention

[0009] The present invention is characterized by the ability to manufacture a 3D printer filament comprising caffeine, a polymer, and a plasticizer using a single screw extruder. Accordingly, when the 3D printer filament according to the present invention is applied to a 3D printer, it can provide a drug with controllable release, thereby improving the safety and efficacy of the drug. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0010] Figure 1 is a graph showing the time it takes for a filament extruder to come out of the die for the filaments of Examples 11 to 20. Figure 2 is a fractal dimension analysis graph for the filaments of Examples 11 to 20. Figure 3 is a graph showing the flow rate during filament extrusion for the filaments of Examples 11 to 20. Figure 4 is a graph showing the results of measuring brittleness for the filaments of Examples 11 to 20. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0011] All technical terms used in this invention, unless otherwise defined, are used in the sense generally understood by a person skilled in the art related to this invention. Additionally, while preferred methods or samples are described herein, similar or equivalents are also included within the scope of this invention. The contents of all publications cited as references in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0012] A numerical range indicated using the term "to" includes a range in which the values ​​listed before and after the term "to" are indicated as the lower and upper limits, respectively, and the term "to" includes the endpoint of the range and all intermediate points between them.

[0013] The terms "comprising" and the forms of the term "comprising" do not limit the invention to exclude any modifications or additions.

[0014] The present invention provides a filament composition for a 3D printer comprising caffeine, a polymer, and a plasticizer.

[0015] A 3D (3-Dimension) printer is equipment that produces actual three-dimensional shapes based on input 3D drawings, just as text or images are printed. The principles of 3D printers can be broadly divided into subtractive and additive types, and most 3D printers currently in use belong to the additive type, which has no material loss.

[0016] There are about 20 methods that utilize the additive manufacturing principle, but the most commonly used methods among them are SLA (Stereolithography Apparatus), FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication), and SLS (Selective Laser Sintering).

[0017] The filament according to the present invention is a filament loaded with a functional substance or a drug, and includes caffeine among the functional substance or drug.

[0018] The caffeine may be included, for example, in an amount of 10 to 60 weight% relative to the total weight of the composition, specifically 20 to 60 weight% relative to the total weight of the composition.

[0019] The polymer may be selected from the group consisting of, for example, polyethylene, polylactic acid, polyethylene terephthalate, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, povidone, and mixtures of two or more of these. Preferably, the polymer may be hydroxypropylmethylcellulose.

[0020] The above polymer may be included, for example, in an amount of 30 to 80 weight% relative to the total weight of the composition, specifically in an amount of 30 weight% or more and 60 weight% or less relative to the total weight of the composition.

[0021] The above plasticizer may be, for example, polyethylene glycol 6000 or triethyl citrate.

[0022] The above plasticizer may be included, for example, in an amount of 3 to 7.5 weight percent relative to the total weight of the composition.

[0023] In some cases, the filament composition according to the present invention may additionally include a lubricant.

[0024] The above lubricant may be selected from the group consisting of, for example, calcium stearate, glyceryl monostearate, glyceryl palmitostearate, magnesium stearate, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium stearyl fumarate, zinc stearate, stearic acid, hydrogenated vegetable oil, polyethylene glycol, sodium benzoate, talc, and mixtures of two or more of these. Preferably, the lubricant may be magnesium stearate.

[0025] The above lubricant may be included, for example, in an amount of 3% or more and 7.5% or less relative to the total weight of the filament composition.

[0026] The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a filament for a 3D printer, comprising the step of extruding the composition using an extruder.

[0027] The above composition can be extruded using an extruder utilizing HME (Hot Melt Extrusion). The above hot melt extrusion method (HME) has the advantage that the processing is carried out at a temperature above the glass transition of the polymer included in the present invention, thereby allowing caffeine to be evenly dispersed at the molecular level within the polymer without the need for water or solvents.

[0028] The extruder above may be a single-screw extruder. It can be manufactured by precisely adjusting the deviation of the filament diameter during the extrusion of a 3D printing filament composition.

[0029] [Example]

[0030] The present invention will be explained in more detail below through the following examples. However, the following examples are merely illustrative of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0031] Examples 1-10: Preparation of caffeine-containing filaments

[0032] For the preparation of the mixture for manufacturing the filaments of Examples 1-10 listed in Table 1 below, polyethylene glycol 6000 was milled and ground, and then caffeine and polyethylene glycol 6000 were sieved using a 180 μm sieve. After mixing the raw materials, a homogeneous mixture was prepared using a mortar and pestle. The prepared mixture was stored in a vacuum desiccator for 24 hours. For the preparation of the filaments, caffeine, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose affinisole, polyethylene glycol 6000, magnesium stearate, and triethyl citrate were subjected to hot melt extrusion using a single-screw extruder (Noztek Pro Desktop Filament Extruder, Noztec, Shoreham-by-Sea, UK) to produce filaments having the composition shown in Table 1 below. At this time, the hot melt extrusion was performed at a temperature of 150°C and a screw speed of 33 rpm, and the diameter of the die extrusion section was set to 1.75 mm.

[0033] [Table 1]

[0034]

[0035] Examples 11-16: Preparation of filaments containing 5% polyethylene glycol 6000 and 5% magnesium stearate

[0036] Examples 11 to 16 are examples for comparing physical appearance and properties according to the ratio of the main component and the polymer, and are prepared in the same manner as Examples 1-10.

[0037] [Table 2]

[0038]

[0039] Examples 17-20: Preparation of filaments containing 7.5% polyethylene glycol 6000 and 7.5% magnesium stearate

[0040] Examples 17 to 20 are examples for comparing physical appearance and properties according to the ratio of the main component and the polymer, and are prepared in the same manner as Examples 1-10.

[0041] [Table 3]

[0042]

[0043] Test Example 1: Comparison based on the amount of lubricant and the type of plasticizer

[0044] To confirm the characteristics of the filaments for the above Examples 1 to 10, the appearance and thickness were measured. A vernier caliper was used to measure the thickness.

[0045] [Table 4]

[0046]

[0047] Regarding the filaments of Examples 1, 3, and 9 above, it was confirmed that filaments containing a small amount of magnesium stearate or no magnesium stearate had very low flow rates, making filament production difficult. Therefore, magnesium stearate must be contained in at least 5%. Additionally, regarding Examples 3, 6, and 7, it was confirmed that when the amount of magnesium stearate was less than that of polyethylene glycol 6000, the extrusion process deteriorated and extrusion did not occur. In the case of Examples 5 and 10 containing triethyl citrate, it was confirmed that although they had high flow rates, they were brittle.

[0048] Test Example 2: Comparison based on the ratio of main component to polymer

[0049] Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed and thickness was measured to confirm the physicochemical properties of the filaments prepared in Examples 11 to 20. In addition, a three-point bending test and fractal dimension analysis were conducted. The three-point bending test was performed using Stable Micro Systems, Godalming, UK, and thickness was measured using a vernier caliper.

[0050] [Table 5]

[0051]

[0052] According to scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of Examples 11 to 20, it was confirmed that the filament surface of Examples 17 to 20, containing 7.5% magnesium stearate and 7.5% polyethylene glycol 6000, was rougher than that of Examples 11 to 16, containing 5% magnesium stearate and 5% polyethylene glycol 6000. In addition, through fractal dimension analysis, it was confirmed that Example 11, containing 10% of the drug, had low viscosity and did not undergo proper extrusion (see Fig. 2). Furthermore, through a 3-point bending test, it was confirmed that brittleness decreased as the amount of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose afinisol increased (Fig. 4).

Claims

Claim 1 A filament composition for a 3D printer comprising caffeine, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, polyethylene glycol 6000, and magnesium stearate, wherein the caffeine is included in an amount of 20 to 60 weight% based on the total weight of the composition, the polyethylene glycol 6000 is included in an amount of 5 to 7.5 weight% based on the total weight of the composition, and the magnesium stearate is included in an amount of 5 to 7.5 weight% based on the total weight of the composition. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 delete Claim 6 delete Claim 7 delete Claim 8 delete Claim 9 delete Claim 10 delete Claim 11 delete Claim 12 A method for manufacturing a filament for a 3D printer comprising the step of extruding a composition according to claim 1 using an extruder. Claim 13 A manufacturing method according to claim 12, characterized by extruding the above composition into an extruder using HME (Hot Melt Extrusion). Claim 14 A manufacturing method according to claim 12, characterized in that the extruder is a single screw extruder.

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