Medical

Pharmaceuticals
Rapid manufacturing technology can make pills with tightly-controlled time release profiles. For example, dosage forms can be produced to provide pulsed, monotonic, rapid, or constant release. Multiple drugs in the same pill can be synchronized with each other. One use of this technique is to optimize dosage timing while providing precisely synchronized relief from side-effects with a second drug. It's also possible to isolate a toxic core within a non-toxic region of a pill. This can be helpful in lowering exposure of manufacturing personnel to harmful ingredients or in providing more effective drug release to a patient.

An expert system can be used to drive an additive fabrication process for producing small batches of pills with varying release profiles, sizes, internal architectures, active ingredient concentrations and other characteristics. This technique would be useful for optimizing dosages or in drug testing.

Fast-dissolving medication forms can be prepared as well as tiny pills for implanting at the root of a tooth or drug delivery devices for attaching to the outer surface of the eye. These complex devices would automatically deliver medicine directly to the organ and are being developed by the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

    

Dental Applications...

Medical Devices...