2022 Annual Meeting
Using Electrospray Technique to Fabricate Coatings That Can Achieve Controlled Release
The objective of our study is to use biodegradable materials to design coatings, via the electrospray technique, that can achieve controlled release. Controlled drug release is a beneficial and powerful tool to achieve reduced frequency of dosing, reduced side effects, and better control of drug concentrations in human bodies(Nokhdchi, 2012). These benefits result in an improvement in both the drugâs treatment effect and patientsâ compliance with the treatment(Maderuelo et al. 2011). Additionally, using the electrospray technique, it is possible to fabricate polymer coatings on medical devices, such as stents, to be able to modulate their integration with surrounding tissues(Guo, 2015). There are many ways to manipulate a coatingâs properties to achieve controlled release. In our study, we are interested in how the thickness of the coating will affect the release profile of the drug. Rhodamine B(a pink dye) is used to simulate the drug, and PVAc(a biodegradable polymer) is used as the substrate of the coating. Coatings were made with different thicknesses. The desired coating, resulting from a successful electrospray experiment, has a shiny, smooth surface with a dark pink color. Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM) is used to verify the resulting film has a flat and smooth surface. After the coatings are made, a diffusion study is conducted by putting the coatings in the PBS solution. Cumulative percent release is calculated by measuring the absorbance value of the solution regularly. In the end, a percent release graph is plotted for each thickness.