Harnessing handheld inkjet printing technology for rapid and decentralised fabrication of drug-loaded hydroxypropyl cellulose buccal films

Abstract

Inkjet printing is emerging as a valuable tool for personalised medicine, offering precision and flexibility in pharmaceutical development. Efforts have been made to modify commercial desktop printers; however, the growing demand for decentralized and on-demand pharmaceutical production highlights the need for more compact, energy-efficient alternatives that enhance versatility and seamless integration across diverse environments.

Highlights

Handheld inkjet printer allows precise dosing of nicotine on HPC/Eudragit NE 30 D films

Nicotine dose can be flexibly chosen by tuning area and layers of pharma-ink printed

The film withstands 3 printed layers of nicotine ink with minimal structural changes

Although nicotine migrates in the film, the release is rapid and facilitates buccal permeation

Handheld printing of pharma-inks on sustainable films is a green approach for local production of personalized medicines

This study presents for the first time, a handheld inkjet printer for portable production of personalised medications in decentralised settings using hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) films as the printing substrate. The compact design of handheld printers ensures ease of use, space efficiency, and reduced energy consumption, making them ideal for patient-centric applications. As a proof of concept, the Selpic S1+ handheld inkjet printer was used to create buccal films with flexible nicotine doses tailored for nicotine replacement therapy. By modifying the printed area and number of pharma-ink (drug-loaded pharmaceutical ink) layers, precise nicotine dosages were achieved.

The films exhibited controlled drug release, strong mucoadhesive properties, and adequate mechanical properties for buccal application. Studies on swelling behaviour, mucoadhesion, and surface morphology validated the film structural integrity and functionality. Ex vivo permeation studies using porcine buccal mucosa demonstrated high nicotine permeability.

Additionally, pharma-ink printing was successfully applied to other biological macromolecules substrates (starch and cellulose), highlighting the versatility of handheld devices in creating diverse patterns across different surfaces. This research underscores the potential of handheld inkjet printing on eco-friendly films for decentralised, rapid and affordable treatment customisation with improved therapeutic outcomes and patient adherence.

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Materials

Nicotine was purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany); 1,2-propylene glycol (PG) was acquired from Scharlau (Barcelona, Spain); ethanol was procured from VWR International (Radnor, USA); hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC; type M, molecular weight (MW) 700,000 g/mol) was provided from NISSO Chemical Europe GmbH (Düsseldorf, Germany); and Eudragit NE 30D was purchased from Evonik Operations GmbH (Essen, Germany). MilliQ® water was obtained using the system Milli-Q® Integral coupled with an E-POD® Dispenser 0.22 μm PES High Flux Capsule Filter from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). Simulated saliva (pH= 6.75± 0.05) was prepared by dissolving 2.38 g Na2HPO4 (Scharlab S.L; Barcelona, Spain), 0.19 g KH2PO4 (ITW Reagents; Darmstadt, Germany) and 8.00 g NaCl (Scharlab S.L.; Barcelona, Spain) in 1000 mL of distilled water (Marques et al. 2011). Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) buffer was prepared using sodium dihydrogen phosphate anhydrous AGR (NaH2PO4; Labkem, Barcelona, Spain). Methanol (HPLC grade) was purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany), while formic acid (99-100 %) was acquired from VWR International (Radnor, USA) Potato starch edible paper (0.3 mm thickness) was purchased from Decoración Dulce (Madrid, Spain). Cellulose paper was from The Navigator Company (Setúbal, Portugal). Bright blue colourant was purchased from Guinama (Valencia, Spain).

Paola Carou-Senra, Atheer Awad, Abdul W. Basit, Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo, Alvaro Goyanes, Harnessing handheld inkjet printing technology for rapid and decentralised fabrication of drug-loaded hydroxypropyl cellulose buccal films, Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, 2025, 100724, ISSN 2666-8939, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpta.2025.100724.