Segmented Coating for Rapid Oral Drug Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oral drug delivery systems face challenges in reliably removing coatings from specific surfaces upon contact with an aqueous environment, leading to inconsistent drug release and manufacturing difficulties, especially in industrial scales.
Innovation Solution
A coated oral drug delivery system designed with a core comprising active ingredients and reactive composition layers, surrounded by a water-insoluble polymer coating that is partially or fully removed from preselected surfaces upon contact with an aqueous environment, allowing for controlled and rapid release of the active ingredient.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pH-independent coatings are used to protect the drug in the oral cavity, then the coating will not dissolve in salivary fluids, but the drug cannot be released rapidly in the stomach
Solution Approach 1:
The coating is segmented into two distinct layers: an outer pH-independent coating that provides stability in the oral cavity, and an inner pH-dependent coating that dissolves in gastric fluid to enable rapid drug release. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function without interfering with the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the coating have different properties: the outer layer is designed to be pH-independent for oral cavity stability, while the inner layer is pH-dependent for rapid gastric release. This local differentiation of coating properties resolves the contradiction between stability and release speed.
2Strength
If rigid support platforms are used to provide structural support, then the system maintains structural integrity, but the platform can crack or flake before complete drug release
Solution Approach 1:
The support platform material properties are changed from rigid to flexible, allowing the platform to maintain structural integrity while accommodating the swelling and dissolution processes without cracking or flaking. The flexible material can deform elastically during the drug release process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a composite structure combining a flexible support platform with both pH-independent and pH-dependent coatings. This composite material system provides both the necessary structural support and the ability to undergo the required physical changes during drug release.
3Manufacturing precision
If coating is removed from multiple surfaces of the deposit core, then the surface area of release is reduced, but such systems are difficult to manufacture at industrial scale
Solution Approach 1:
The coating removal function is segmented and assigned to specific preselected surfaces only, rather than requiring removal from all surfaces. This segmentation simplifies the manufacturing process while still achieving the desired controlled release profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The coating is applied with different properties or thicknesses on different surfaces, creating local quality differences that enable selective removal from preselected surfaces. This local differentiation allows for simpler, more scalable manufacturing processes.
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 system achieves reliable and controlled release of the active ingredient without delay, improving manufacturing feasibility and ensuring consistent drug delivery, with the coating being selectively removed from specific surfaces to expose the active ingredient effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a core comprising an active ingredient composition and a swellable composition, wherein the drug delivery system is designed in a manner such that the coating is removed upon contact of the system with an aqueous environment
Implementation Method 2
a core comprising an active ingredient composition and a reactive composition, wherein the drug delivery system is designed in a manner such that the coating is removed upon contact of the system with an aqueous environment
Data Source
AI summary
An oral drug delivery system comprising a coated tablet having one or more surfaces. The coated tablet further comprises a core and a coating surrounding the core. The core comprises an active ingredient composition comprising at least one active ingredient and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and a reactive composition located in an immediate vicinity of one or more preselected surfaces. The coating is operable to be reliably removed fully from the one or more of the preselected surfaces of the tablet upon contact with an aqueous environment, but not removed from at least one of the surfaces.