3D printed pediatric pain-relief medication dosing
Innovative 3D drug printing technology offers customized, precise dosing for pediatric medications, using child-friendly formats like gummies. This approach aims to enhance therapeutic levels and minimize adverse effects, with a focus on quality and consistency.
Overview
InfraTrac's innovative approach to 3D drug printing addresses the unique challenges of pediatric medication dosing. Traditional dosing methods often fail to cater to the specific needs of children, who require small, variable doses. By employing 3D printing technology, InfraTrac can customize medication doses with precision, offering child-friendly formats such as gummies or orodispersible films. This technology not only allows for precise dosing but also enhances palatability through taste-masking techniques beyond simple flavoring, utilizing geometry, colors, and custom shapes.
Technical specifications
The technology utilizes advanced sensors within the 3D printing process to ensure quality and consistency in drug production. Key features include:
- Precision dosing: Customizable doses to meet specific pediatric needs, reducing adverse effects.
- Child-friendly delivery: Formats such as gummies and films that appeal to children.
- Quality management: Real-time, non-destructive verification of drug prints using UV, HPLC, NIR, Raman, DSC, and dissolution testing.
- Enhanced palatability: Use of geometry and colors to improve taste-masking.
The system is designed to maintain therapeutic levels while minimizing side effects through controlled release mechanisms. Quality parameters are characterized using near-infrared (NIR) spectra, allowing for comprehensive monitoring of assay, content uniformity, and product performance.
Technology readiness level
This technology is currently at TRL 4, indicating that it has been validated in a laboratory setting. The next steps involve further development and validation with commercial partners to optimize dosage forms for pediatric applications.
About InfraTrac, Inc
InfraTrac, Inc. is a woman-owned technology company that specializes in light-based innovation for anti-counterfeiting, quality assurance, and controlled release applications. Founded in 2006, the company leverages near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and light-activated chemical signatures to provide authentication solutions. Its technology is designed to verify the integrity of products by comparing them against chemometric reference models, which is particularly useful for additive manufacturing. By analyzing how materials respond to light, InfraTrac provides a non-destructive, rapid, and precise method to confirm that products meet specified standards without requiring extensive operator training.
This technology is utilized across industries including pharmaceuticals and aerospace, where ensuring material authenticity and quality is critical. In the pharmaceutical sector, for instance, the company provides tools for hospital pharmacies to verify that 3D-printed doses contain the correct concentrations of active ingredients, helping to prevent the administration of non-conforming medication. InfraTrac has received competitive funding and contracts from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Lockheed Martin to advance its spectroscopic quality and authentication capabilities. The company continues to innovate in the development of 3D-printed nano-scale containers aimed at improving the controlled release of payloads for medical and industrial applications.
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