Nanoporous Biodegradable Polymeric Coatings for Controlled Drug Release
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current drug-eluting implants, such as stents, face challenges with sustained and controlled drug release due to microporosity, leading to issues like late thrombosis and inflammation, as existing technologies rely on non-biodegradable polymers and micrometer-sized pores that result in burst drug release.
Innovation Solution
Development of nanoporous, biodegradable polymeric thin films with tailored properties in multi- or single-layer configurations, using spin coating to create layers with specific degradation rates and nanoporosity for controlled drug release, allowing rapid release from outer layers and sustained release from inner layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If microporous structures with micrometer dimensions are used in existing drug eluting implants, then drug loading capacity is achieved, but sustained and controlled drug release is hindered leading to burst release
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pore size parameter from micrometer dimensions to nanopore dimensions (1-100 nm), and changes the polymer material parameter from non-biodegradable to biodegradable materials. These parameter changes enable both adequate drug loading capacity and sustained controlled release over extended periods by preventing excessive burst release while maintaining drug reservoir functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs nanoporous biodegradable polymeric materials with specifically controlled pore sizes in the nanometer range. These nanoporous structures provide sufficient surface area and volume for drug loading while the nanoscale dimensions and biodegradability enable sustained release kinetics that prevent burst release, resolving the contradiction between loading capacity and controlled release duration.
2Reliability
If non-biodegradable polymer coatings are employed in drug eluting stents, then drug delivery capability is achieved, but late thrombosis and inflammation are induced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material biodegradability parameter from non-biodegradable to biodegradable polymers. This fundamental material parameter change eliminates the harmful long-term presence of foreign non-degradable materials that cause thrombosis and inflammation, while maintaining drug delivery capability through the biodegradation process that naturally facilitates drug release and material resorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite biodegradable polymeric materials that combine drug loading capability with controlled biodegradation properties. These composite materials integrate therapeutic function with biocompatible resorption, eliminating the harmful effects of non-biodegradable coatings while preserving reliable drug delivery capability throughout the therapeutic period.
3Quantity of substance
If excessive burst release of drugs occurs from implant surface, then initial drug concentration is delivered, but stent strut endothelialisation is impaired and late stent thrombosis is induced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pore size parameter to nanoscale dimensions (1-100 nm) and modifies the polymer biodegradability parameter. These changes control the drug release kinetics to prevent excessive burst release while still delivering adequate initial drug concentration. The nanoscale pore structure and biodegradation rate are tuned to provide moderate initial release followed by sustained release, avoiding the harmful effects of uncontrolled burst release on endothelialisation and thrombosis.
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
The method enables controlled and steady drug delivery, minimizing inflammation and thrombosis by tailoring the structural properties and nanoporosity of the thin films, ensuring precise drug release profiles for short-term, medium-term, and long-term therapeutic effects.
Implementation Method 1
b) spin coating the selected polymers (drug-loaded or drug-free) onto cleaned inorganic or organic substrates
Implementation Method 2
selecting biodegradable polymers BP based on their in vivo degradation rates
Data Source
Figure 1a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
Figure 4A~4E
AI summary
The present invention relates to the design and development of a drug delivery nanoplatform that consists of nanoporous, multi-layer biodegradable polymeric (BP) thin films for controlled release of its payload. The method is used notably to synthesize nanoporous BP coatings as drug delivery vehicles exhibiting uniform nanopores with tailored characteristics for control of drug delivery and release. It enables the multiplex delivery of drugs that can be eluted at desirable time intervals in line with each medical need. Atomic Force Microscopy and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry are applied for determining nanoporosity, thickness, drug loading, structural properties, and quality of the BP films ensuring the quality control of the final product. The complete degradation of the polymers minimizes the toxicity within the human body and such nanoplatform can be used in a wide range of drug eluting and other medical implants and biomedical devices.