Understanding the Effect of Energy Density and Formulation Factors on the Printability and Characteristics of SLS Irbesartan Tablets—Application of the Decision Tree Model
Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a rapid prototyping technique for the production of three-dimensional objects through selectively sintering powder-based layer materials. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of energy density (ED) and formulation factors on the printability and characteristics of SLS irbesartan tablets. The correlation between formulation factors, ED, and printability was obtained using a decision tree model with an accuracy of 80%.
FT-IR results revealed that there was no interaction between irbesartan and the applied excipients. DSC results indicated that irbesartan was present in an amorphous form in printed tablets. ED had a significant influence on tablets’ physical, mechanical, and morphological characteristics. Adding lactose monohydrate enabled faster drug release while reducing the possibility for printing with different laser speeds. However, formulations with crospovidone were printable with a wider range of laser speeds.
The adjustment of formulation and process parameters enabled the production of SLS tablets with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose with complete release in less than 30 min. The results suggest that a decision tree could be a useful tool for predicting the printability of pharmaceutical formulations. Tailoring the characteristics of SLS irbesartan tablets by ED is possible; however, it needs to be governed by the composition of the whole formulation.
Download the full article as a PDF here or read it here
Materials: Irbesartan, a model active substance, was donated by Hemofarm (Vrsac, Serbia). Lactose monohydrate was purchased from CARLO ERBA (Milan, Italy). Vivapharm® E3, (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, HPMC) was obtained from JRS Pharma (Rosenberg, Germany). Mannitol Parteck® M 200 and Candurin® Gold Sheen were obtained from Merck, Darmstadt, Germany. Kollidon® VA 64 Fine (vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymer) was supplied from BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany. Crospovidone NF (Polyplasdone® XL-10) was obtained from Ashland (Wilmington, DE, USA) and AEROSIL® 200 (colloidal silicon dioxide) was provided by Evonik (Essen, Germany).
Article information: Madžarević, M.; Medarević, Đ.; Pavlović, S.; Ivković, B.; Đuriš, J.; Ibrić, S. Understanding the Effect of Energy Density and Formulation Factors on the Printability and Characteristics of SLS Irbesartan Tablets – Application of the Decision Tree Model. Pharmaceutics 2021, 13, 1969. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13111969