Towards Microcapsules with Improved Barrier Properties.

Microencapsulation is the generic term for numerous technologies, which are often used when the release rate of an active substance in a medium has to be controlled and/or contact between the active substance and the medium has to be prevented. This is achieved by wrapping the tiny particles or droplets of the active substance (capsule core) with a thin layer, or membrane, of another material (capsule shell). The permeability of the membrane determines whether, how fast and under which conditions the active material will be released and/or the components of the medium will enter the inner part of the capsule. Insofar as application is concerned, premature release of an active substance from microcapsules during storage is a very common problem. Prevention of diffusion of an active component or components of the outer medium through the capsule membrane is a complex challenge, which so far cannot be considered as solved. This review briefly covers the theoretical aspects of release kinetics from microcapsules and discusses how such parameters as capsule average size, capsule shell thickness as well as the chemical composition of active material and medium can influence the release profiles. All theoretical considerations are based on the dissolution-diffusion mechanism classically used for the explanation of diffusion trough flat membranes/films. In the second part of the manuscript it is discussed, which strategies have been used for the improvement of the barrier properties of microcapsules up to date and to which extent those strategies were successful.

Development and characterization of a coronary polylactic acid stent prototype generated by selective laser melting.

In-stent restenosis is still an important issue and stent thrombosis is an unresolved risk after coronary intervention. Biodegradable stents would provide initial scaffolding of the stenosed segment and disappear subsequently. The additive manufacturing technology Selective Laser Melting (SLM) enables rapid, parallel, and raw material saving generation of complex 3- dimensional structures with extensive geometric freedom and is currently in use in orthopedic or dental applications. Here, SLM process parameters were adapted for poly-L-lactid acid (PLLA) and PLLA-co-poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) powders to generate degradable coronary stent prototypes. Biocompatibility of both polymers was evidenced by assessment of cell morphology and of metabolic and adhesive activity at direct and indirect contact with human coronary artery smooth muscle cells, umbilical vein endothelial cells, and endothelial progenitor cells. γ-sterilization was demonstrated to guarantee safety of SLM-processed parts. From PLLA and PCL, stent prototypes were successfully generated and post-processing by spray- and dip-coating proved to thoroughly smoothen stent surfaces. In conclusion, for the first time, biodegradable polymers and the SLM technique were combined for the manufacturing of customized biodegradable coronary artery stent prototypes. SLM is advocated for the development of biodegradable coronary PLLA and PCL stents, potentially optimized for future bifurcation applications.

Submicronparticles from biodegradable polymers.

The objective was to prepare small particles in the nm range with poly(D,L-lactide) and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) applying the spontaneous emulsification process. Polymer parameters as well as process parameters were investigated. The results show that spontaneous emulsification is a simple method to produce small particles in the 200-1000 nm range. A major drawback is the limitation to very restricted conditions, e.g. molecular weight up to 30.000 g/mole, glycolide content in the copolymer up to 30 mole% and concentration of the polymer solution lower than or equal to 1% (w/v).