3D Printed Interlocking Oral Tablet Layers for Hydrophobic Drug Solubilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Orally administered drugs with hydrophobic active ingredients often face poor absorption due to low solubility and permeability in gastric and intestinal fluids, leading to reduced bioavailability and effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The development of an oral dosage tablet using 3D printing technology to apply alternating thin layers of hydrophobic active ingredients and phospholipids, which increases the surface area for solubilization, improving the absorption of poorly soluble active ingredients by maintaining a close proximity of lipid and active ingredient layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional tablet formulations are used with hydrophobic active ingredients, then manufacturing is simple, but solubility and absorption are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The tablet is divided into multiple alternating layers of hydrophobic active ingredient and phospholipid, creating a layered structure that increases surface area for solubilization while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through 3D printing
Solution Approach 2:
The formulation transitions from a traditional single-phase solid tablet to a multi-layered structured system with alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic phases, adding structural dimensionality to improve solubility and absorption properties
2Reliability
If small molecules are used that show effectiveness in vitro, then initial development is straightforward, but in vivo absorption is poor due to unfavorable pharmacokinetics
Solution Approach 1:
Phospholipids serve as an intermediary substance that facilitates the absorption of hydrophobic active ingredients by forming liposomal structures that enhance solubilization and transport across biological membranes, thereby improving bioavailability
3Reliability
If multiple dosages are required per day or over several days, then treatment effectiveness is maintained, but patient compliance and simplicity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple dosage requirements are consolidated into a single tablet containing multiple layers of active ingredient and phospholipid, allowing patients to take one tablet instead of multiple separate dosages throughout the day, thereby improving compliance while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness
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 approach enhances the solubilization and absorption of hydrophobic active ingredients, overcoming the limitations of traditional formulations by simplifying the manufacturing process, allowing for scalability and personalized dosing without the need for extensive reformulation.
Implementation Method 1
The oral dosage tablet includes multiple alternating layers of a hydrophobic active ingredient and phospholipids... the phospholipids aid in the solubilization of the active ingredients... formation of a liposome in which a phospholipid bilayer is oriented in a generally circular/spherical configuration such that the hydrophilic heads of one layer surround an aqueous core while the hydrophilic heads of the other layer interact with a bulk aqueous phase
Implementation Method 2
applying subsequent alternating layers of the active ingredient and the phospholipids... The close proximity and increased contact surface area of the lipid and active ingredient layers improve the overall solubility of the active ingredient
Data Source
AI summary
An oral dosage tablet for delivery of hydrophobic active ingredients to a patient and method of forming the same are described. The oral dosage tablet includes one or more layers of an active ingredient adjacent one or more layers of a lipid, such as a phospholipid. The layers are alternating and have a thickness of between 0.1 and 0.8 millimeters. The method of forming the tablet includes forming a lipid paste and an active ingredient paste of the respective components and applying alternating layers of each in layers of between 0.1 millimeters to 0.8 millimeters. The oral dosage tablet is subsequently dried and stored until treatment conmmences.