Weaver Edward, Mathew Essyrose, Caldwell Jay, Hooker Andrew, Uddin Shahid, Lamprou Dimitrios A
School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Immunocore Ltd, Milton Park, Abingdon, UK.
J Pharm Pharmacol. 2023 Feb 8;75(2):245-252. doi: 10.1093/jpp/rgac085.
The process of 3D printing to produce microfluidic chips is becoming commonplace, due to its quality, versatility and newfound availability. In this study, a UV liquid crystal display (LCD) printer has been implemented to produce a progression of microfluidic chips for the purpose of liposomal synthesis. The emphasis of this research is to test the limitations of UV LCD printing in terms of resolution and print speed optimisation for the production of microfluidic chips.
By varying individual channel parameters such as channel length and internal geometries, the essential channel properties for optimal liposomal formulation are being investigated to act as a basis for future experimentation including the encapsulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Using the uniquely designed chips, liposomes of ≈120 nm, with polydispersity index values of ≤0.12 are able to be reproducibly synthesised.
The influence of total flow rates and lipid choice is investigated in depth, to provide further clarification on how a microfluidic setup should be optimised. In-depth explanations of the importance of each channel parameter are also explained throughout, with reference to their importance for the properties of a successful liposome.
由于3D打印生产微流控芯片的质量、多功能性和新的可用性，该过程正变得越来越普遍。在本研究中，已采用紫外液晶显示器（LCD）打印机来生产一系列用于脂质体合成的微流控芯片。本研究的重点是测试紫外LCD打印在微流控芯片生产的分辨率和打印速度优化方面的局限性。
通过改变诸如通道长度和内部几何形状等单个通道参数，正在研究用于优化脂质体制剂的基本通道特性，以此作为未来实验（包括活性药物成分的包封）的基础。使用独特设计的芯片，能够可重复地合成直径约120nm、多分散指数值≤0.12的脂质体。
深入研究了总流速和脂质选择的影响，以进一步阐明应如何优化微流控装置。还对每个通道参数的重要性进行了深入解释，并提及它们对成功脂质体性质的重要性。
