Development of a device for under-demand drug release by acoustic wave

הרקע לפרויקט:

Today, many drugs have unacceptable side effects due to the drug’s interaction with healthy tissues that are not the target site. Drug delivery systems are engineered technologies for targeted delivery and/or controlled release of therapeutic agents. Drug delivery systems that respond to external stimuli have a great research interest, as they enable the pulsatile release of drugs, according to external alterations. Many physical and chemical stimuli can be used as triggers, such as temperature, pH, light, electric fields, magnetic fields, osmotic pressure, and ultrasound (US). The US attracts great attention, due to its many advantages: absence of ionizing radiations, low cost, ease of operation, and the ability to transmit energy to precise locations.

מטרת הפרויקט:

Our goal is to develop an implantable device, loaded with drugs for controlled and under-demand release of the drug.
The students will design and fabricate a polymeric-based device for controlled drug delivery by acoustic waves. They will simulate theoretically and examine experimentally the effect of acoustic waves upon the device and cells in culture.

תכולת הפרויקט:

The student will simulate the acoustic force with the simulation software COMSOL. The simulation will be based on the physical properties of our system and examine it under different conditions. According to the results, the student will design and fabricate a model device, based on ultrasound-responsive polymer, combined with a drug.

קורסי קדם:

• פזיולוגיה כמותית
• דימות רפואי

מקורות:

1. Kim, H. J.; Matsuda, H.; Zhou, H.; Honma, I. Ultrasound-Triggered Smart Drug Release from a Poly(Dimethylsiloxane)- Mesoporous Silica Composite. Advanced Materials 2006, 18 (23), 3083–3088.
2. Cohen, S.; Sazan, H.; Kenigsberg, A.; Schori, H.; Piperno, S.; Shpaisman, H.; Shefi, O. Large-scale acoustic-driven neuronal patterning and directed outgrowth. Scientific Report 2020, 10.
3. A. Stewart, S.; Domínguez-Robles, J.; F. Donnelly R.; Larrañeta, E. Implantable Polymeric Drug Delivery Devices: Classification, Manufacture, Materials, and Clinical Applications. Polymers 2018, 10, 1379.