Thiol-ene Polymer Device for Reliable In-Vitro Drug Testing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current polymer devices, particularly PDMS, suffer from drug adsorption and absorption issues, leading to unreliable in-vitro drug testing due to transient surface modifications and potential toxicity from treatment processes.

Innovation Solution

A polymer device with a thiol-ene based polymer main body, specifically off-stoichiometric thiol-ene (OSTE) polymers, which offers reduced drug sorption, high optical clarity, and stable crosslink density, allowing for reliable testing of various drug types without significant absorption or adsorption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If PDMS is used as the polymer material for drug testing devices, then ease of prototyping and gas permeability are improved, but drug adsorption and absorption occur leading to unreliable test results

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of prototypingVSAvoidreliability of drug testing

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the polymer from PDMS to thiol-ene based polymers with specific crosslink densities (5-50 mmol/L), thereby altering the material's interaction properties with drugs while maintaining manufacturability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses composite material design by combining thiol-ene based polymers with specific crosslinking structures to create a material that simultaneously achieves ease of manufacturing and minimal drug sorption, resolving the contradiction between manufacturability and testing reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If oxygen-plasma or UV-ozone treatment is applied to activate PDMS surface, then surface hydrophilicity is improved, but the effect is transient and toxic compounds may be produced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface hydrophilicityVSAvoidduration of surface activation

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of attempting to create permanent surface modifications on PDMS, the patent adopts a disposable approach by using thiol-ene based polymer devices that inherently maintain stable surface properties throughout their usable lifetime, eliminating the need for repeated reactivation treatments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent fundamentally changes the surface chemistry parameters by selecting thiol-ene based polymers with inherent stable surface properties, eliminating the transient hydrophilicity issue associated with plasma or UV-ozone treated PDMS

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-generated harmful factors

If UV-ozone treatment is used to activate PDMS surface, then surface reactivity is improved, but toxic peroxide compounds are produced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface reactivityVSAvoidtoxicity from peroxide formation

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the potential harm of UV exposure into a benefit by using controlled UV-initiated thiol-ene polymerization to create stable crosslinked networks, avoiding the harmful peroxide formation associated with UV-ozone treatment of PDMS while still achieving surface activation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the chemical reaction parameters by selecting thiol-ene polymerization chemistry that proceeds through stable intermediates rather than peroxide formation, thereby achieving surface reactivation without generating toxic byproducts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 thiol-ene based polymer device provides accurate toxicity and efficacy assessments of drugs by minimizing sorption, enabling reliable testing of small molecules, antibodies, and bioactive compounds with improved consistency and safety compared to traditional materials like PDMS.

Implementation Method 1

sorption of a wide variety of drugs, particularly in contrast to PDMS, is negligible in thiol-ene based polymers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSorption: Sorption

Data Source

PatentEP4276462A1Polymer device for in-vitro drug evaluation

Publication Date: 2023.11.15 ROBERT BOSCH FUR MEDIZINISCHE FORSCHUNG MBH

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AI summary

The present invention provides a polymer device for in-vitro drug evaluation, characterized in that the device is comprised of a main body comprising an thiol-ene based polymer. In addition, the use of a polymer device comprising an thiol-ene based polymer main body for in-vitro drug evaluation and a method for assaying the toxicity and/or efficacy of at least one drug on a cell culture are provided.