This 3D Printed Pill will automatically release the proper dosage and act as your pharmacists inside your tummy!
3D printing is the process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital model.
The term 3D printing was first introduced in the 1980s, but at that time, it was mainly used in the industrial field.
It has only been in the past decade that 3D printing has become more popular and is now being used for both personal and commercial purposes.
One of the latest advancements in 3D printing is the ability to print pills.
In cases that you may forget to take a dose of your medicine, it’s worth having a 3D printed pill that you take only once a day but will be released to your body at any desired rate.
This is what assistant professor Soh Siow Ling and Ph.D. student Sun Yajuan from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore had developed.
3D Printed Pill (Source: IMechE)
The pill is designed to contain the patient’s different meds for a given day, only to be released at other times in the correct dosage as indicated.
Researchers used computer software to make the mold. After designing the medical pill, it is then 3D printed to get the pharmaceutical drug.
This is critical because it is the shape and the length that control dosage.
The pill is designed to have three components, one of which is a polymer containing the drug.
This will determine the rate of release of the drug.
Adjustments with the shape of the polymer make it possible to designate the release of the drug it contains.
There is also the solution of surface-eroding polymer that fills the gaps in between.
3D Printed Pill. No need to take multiple pills at different intervals. Source: Giphy
Making this pill is simple through the UP Plus 2, the 3D printer. It can be operated by GPs, pharmacists, or hospital staff.
Soh is proud of this breakthrough. He said, “This new tablet fabrication method is a game-changer – it is technically simple, relatively inexpensive, and versatile.
It can be applied at individualized settings where physicians could produce customized pills on the spot for patients, or in mass production settings by pharmaceutical companies.”
The Advantages of 3D Printed Pill
The 3D printed pill has many advantages over traditional medication.
It is easy to identify, and it can be customized to the patient’s specific needs.
The pill is also easier to swallow, and it can be produced quickly and inexpensively.
