Noninvasive characterization of in situ forming implants using diagnostic ultrasound.

In situ forming drug delivery systems provide a means by which a controlled release depot can be physically inserted into a target site without the use of surgery. The release rate of drugs from these systems is often related to the rate of implant formation. Currently, only a limited number of techniques are available to monitor phase inversion, and none of these methods can be used to visualize the process directly and noninvasively. In this study, diagnostic ultrasound was used to visualize and quantify the process of implant formation in a phase inversion based system both in vitro and in vivo. Concurrently, sodium fluorescein was used as a mock drug to evaluate the drug release profiles and correlate drug release and implant formation processes. Implants comprised of three different molecular weight poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymers dissolved in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) were studied in vitro and a 29 kDa PLGA solution was evaluated in vivo. The implants were encapsulated in a 1% agarose tissue phantom for five days, or injected into a rat subcutaneously and evaluated for 48 h. Quantitative measurements of the gray-scale value (corresponding to the rate of implant formation), swelling, and precipitation were evaluated using image analysis techniques, showing that polymer molecular weight has a considerable effect on the swelling and formation of the in situ drug delivery depots. A linear correlation was also seen between the in vivo release and depot formation (R(2)=0.93). This study demonstrates, for the first time, that ultrasound can be used to noninvasively and nondestructively monitor and evaluate the phase inversion process of in situ forming drug delivery implants, and that the formation process can be directly related to the initial phase of drug release dependent on this formation.