Solid dosage form production
AssigneeUniversity of Lancashire
InventorsMohamed Albed Alhnan, Tochukwu Chijioke Okwuosa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure utilises 3D printing technology, particularly fused filament fabrication, FFF, 3D printing, in conjunction with solid and/or liquid dispensers to produce solid dosage forms, such as pharmaceutical capsules. Such solid dosage forms have a shell, which is 3D printed, and a core, which is dispensed.
Claims27
A computer-implemented method of preparing a solid dosage form, for oral administration, the solid dosage form comprising a core and a three-dimensional shell surrounding the core, the method comprising:
- i) providing an apparatus comprising:
- one or more structural printing nozzles for printing a three-dimensional open shell;
- and
- one or more non-structural dispensers for dispensing the core;
- ii) providing a computer, running pursuant to solid dosage form printing software, configured to operate the apparatus and thereby control printing and dispensing;
- iii) printing a shell composition or precursor thereof onto a build platform, via the one or more structural printing nozzles operating at a temperature between 6° and 350° C., to produce the three-dimensional open shell;
- iv) dispensing into the three-dimensional open shell in a metered fashion at a temperature at or below 60° C., via the one or more non-structural dispensers, one or more core compositions, or precursor(s) thereof, to produce an open core-containing shell, wherein at least one of the core composition(s) comprises a pharmaceutically, nutraceutically, or food-supplement active ingredient;
- wherein at least one of the one or more core compositions, or precursor(s) thereof, is a liquid core composition;
- and wherein the one or more non-structural dispensers are either unheated or are otherwise associated with a temperature control element configured to maintain the temperature thereof at or below 60° C.;
- and
- v) closing the open core-containing shell;
- wherein the one or more structural printing nozzles are one or more heated extrusion nozzles;
- wherein steps iii)-v) are performed sequentially;
- wherein the shell has a 3D-printed layer structure, whereas the core is solid, liquid, or gelled at standard ambient temperature and pressure (SATP) and has a non-3D-printed-layered structure.
An apparatus for preparing a solid dosage form, for oral administration, the solid dosage form comprising a core and a three-dimensional shell surrounding the core, the apparatus comprising:
- a 3D printer;
- and
- a build platform upon which the solid dosage form is printable;
- and
- a computer;
- wherein the apparatus further comprises or is otherwise associated with:
- one or more structural printing nozzles for printing a three-dimensional open shell;
- and
- one or more non-structural dispensers for dispensing the core;
- wherein the computer, running pursuant to solid dosage form printing software, is configured to operate the apparatus to:
- i) print a shell composition or precursor thereof onto the build platform, via the one or more structural printing nozzles operating at a temperature between 6° and 350° C., to produce the three-dimensional open shell;
- ii) dispense into the three-dimensional open shell in a metered fashion at a temperature at or below 60° C., via the one or more non-structural dispensers, one or more core compositions, or precursor(s) thereof, to produce an open core-containing shell, wherein at least one of the core composition(s) comprises a pharmaceutically, nutraceutically, or food-supplement active ingredient, and wherein the one or more non-structural dispensers are either unheated or are otherwise associated with a temperature control element configured to maintain the temperature thereof at or below 60° C.;
- and
- iii) closing the open core-containing shell;
- wherein the one or more structural printing nozzles are one or more heated extrusion nozzles;
- wherein steps i)-iii) are performed sequentially;
- wherein the shell has a 3D-printed layer structure, whereas the core is solid, liquid, or gelled at standard ambient temperature and pressure (SATP) and has a non-3D-printed-layered structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.