One of the promising applications of 3D printing is the creation of personalized medicines, in which dosages and
Scientists from University College London (UCL)use 3D printing technology - it is called photopolymerization. To produce drugs, you need a resin containing a dissolved drug, as well as a photoreactive chemical that hardens during printing when exposed to light.
Typically, during 3D printing, a layer of resin is formedlayer by layer and the desired object is created: this process takes several minutes. But the UCL team was able to reduce the time to just a few seconds thanks to optimal light control.
This method is called volumetric 3D printing.Instead of printing layer by layer, the authors made it so that all the resin hardens. First, the apparatus highlights the image of the desired object on the resin at different angles. The light intensity is adjusted until polymerization occurs simultaneously.
Scientists have used this approach to makeparacetamol tablets in 17 seconds. The authors changed the composition of the resin and were able to fine-tune the release rate of the drugs in the tablets. During the experiment, the tablet printing speed was reduced to seven seconds.
According to the authors, paracetamol is one thingmedicine from the huge quantities that can be created this way. They said their technology would be suitable for rapidly changing clinical settings, and patients would be able to seek medications tailored to their individual needs.
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