For the first time producing drugs using 3D printing technology in just 7 seconds

Researchers at University College London have developed a new 3D printing technique that enables rapid on-site production of drugs.

3D printed pill case.

The findings, published in the journal Additive Manufacturing, improve the way 3D printers can be used to produce personalized medicines on demand. In the study, the scientists put paracetamol in a 3D printer-manufactured drug shell.

One of the leading techniques in 3D printing is photopolymerization, which gives the highest resolution at small scales, suitable for many drugs that do not require high heat. To print drugs, the technique uses an artificial resin formulation, dissolved in a solution of optically reactive chemicals. Once activated by light, the resin hardens to form a printable pill shell. But the photopolymerization is limited by the slow printing speed due to layer-by-layer printing.

A team led by Professor Abdul Basit at University College London's School of Medicine has developed a new photochemical polymer technique that prints the entire object at once, reducing the printing speed from many minutes to 7-17 seconds depending on the type. Synthetic resins. This technique works by illuminating multiple images of the object at different angles onto the plastic material. The amount of light increases gradually until the threshold for photopolymerization is reached. By adjusting the light intensity at various angles, every point of the 3D object in the synthetic resin can reach that threshold at the same time, causing the entire 3D object to harden simultaneously.

"Personalized 3D printed drugs are evolving at a rapid pace and entering clinical applications. To adapt to the fast clinical environment, we have developed a 3D printer that can produce drugs in seconds. This technology could change the pharmaceutical industry," said study co-author Dr Alvaro Goyanes from University College London's School of Pharmacy.