Chewing Gum Tablet Synchronized Release via Granule Nesting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Compressed chewing gum struggles to achieve a synchronized and optimal release of pharmaceutically active ingredients and enhancers, leading to suboptimal effects due to rapid release and unsynchronized delivery.

Innovation Solution

A compressed chewing gum tablet design incorporating pharmaceutically active ingredients and enhancers, where the enhancer, including a pH control agent, is partly contained within chewing gum granules, allowing for controlled and synchronized release through the use of gum base and bulk sweetener particles with comparable particle sizes, and potentially separate modules for active ingredients and enhancers to manage stability and release profiles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If compressed chewing gum is used to deliver pharmaceutically active ingredients and enhancers, then the delivery mechanism is simplified and manufacturing is easier, but the release of active ingredients and enhancers becomes unsynchronized and suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidrelease synchronization
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The chewing gum is divided into multiple modules, where each module contains either active ingredients or enhancers but not both. This segmentation allows independent control of release profiles for each component, resolving the contradiction by enabling synchronized release through separate module design while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different modules are assigned different local qualities - some modules contain active ingredients with specific release characteristics, while other modules contain enhancers with different release characteristics. This local differentiation enables tailored release profiles for each component, achieving synchronized release without complicating the overall manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If enhancers are incorporated into chewing gum granules, then release control and synchronization with active ingredients is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverelease synchronizationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The enhancers are nested within the chewing gum granules, which themselves are components of the larger chewing gum system. This nested structure allows the enhancers to be released in a controlled manner as the granules dissolve, achieving synchronized release with active ingredients while avoiding the need for separate complex delivery mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Speed

If active ingredients and enhancers are released rapidly, then initial availability is improved, but optimal uptake is not achieved due to lack of sustained release

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverelease speedVSAvoiduptake optimization
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The chewing gum modules are designed to release active ingredients and enhancers in a periodic manner throughout the chewing process. This periodic release ensures that components are delivered at optimal intervals, maintaining sustained availability in the oral cavity and achieving optimal uptake while avoiding the problems of both too-rapid and too-slow release.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design ensures a prolonged and synchronized release of active ingredients and enhancers, optimizing their uptake and maintaining stability during storage and use, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the chewing gum.

Implementation Method 1

the enhancer, including a pH control agent, is partly contained within chewing gum granules, allowing for controlled and synchronized release

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectpH control:

Data Source

PatentEP2229158B1Compressed chewing gum tablet
Publication Date: 2016.08.10 FERTIN PHARMA AS
  • EP2229158B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~2d
  • EP2229158B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~5b
  • EP2229158B1 patent drawingFigure 6a~7b

AI summary

The invention relates to compressed chewing gum tablet comprising one or more pharmaceutically active ingredients and one or more enhancers, wherein the chewing gum tablet comprises at least one chewing gum module comprising a chewing gum composition, and wherein the chewing gum composition comprises chewing gum granules containing gum base, and wherein said enhancers are at least partly contained within at least a part of said chewing gum granules.