Investigation of the Effects of Infill Pattern and Percentage on Drug Release from 3D Printed Scaffolds

Abstract

—A recent understanding of the broad dose ranges of mass-produced drug delivery systems has increased the demand for patient-tailored matrices. The fabrication process with conventional techniques, however, is inefficient and needs to be restructured. The adjustment of 3D printing parameters can be investigated as an alternative method of controlling drug release. In this study, the combined effect of infill percentage and infill pattern on the release of 3D printed scaffolds were examined over a 50-hour period. The model drug, Rhodamine B, was combined with a highly degradable polymer, polycaprolactone (PCL). It was concluded that surface area played a key role in the release over time, thus indicating this study will aid in restructuring the production of personalized drug-delivery systems.