Customized Tablets can be Developed Using 3D Printing Technology

Popping down a number of pills a day can obviously drain you both physically and mentally. How about just one pill that can make all your ailments disappear? Sounds interesting right!Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have come out with a new method of creating customized tablets, pills that are modified based on the patient’s requirement.

Taking several pills continuously can lead to drug interactions and side effects. But this could be eliminated by popping just one pill a day, customized exactly to your condition.

They used 3D printing technology to develop personalized tablets. Polymer tablets are made in shapes based on the rate of the drug release. For example, if the dose has to be released five times a day then, the shape of the tablet is made in a five-prong shape.

Researchers created a mold or template according to the medication profile of the patient using the software. Then the molds are filled with the drug and the polymer is inserted into the 3d-printed impermeable container, which gets solidified in the UV curing process.

This customized drug taken just once in a day will allow the drug to be released in five pulses over time. So, just forget about taking pills in a timely manner as one pill can help treat all ailments.

“For a long time, personalized tablets have been a mere concept as it was far too complex or expensive to be realized This new tablet fabrication method is a game changer - it is technically simple, relatively inexpensive and versatile,” said Soh.

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“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,” he added.

Source-Medindia