Building functional materials for health care and pharmacy from microuidic principles and Flow Focusing

A. M. Ga n an-Calvo1,, J. M. Montanero2 , L. Mart n-Banderas3 , M. Flores-Mosquera4

Corr. au.: amgc@us.es Departamento de Ingenier a Aeroespacial y Mec anica de Fluidos, Universidad de Sevilla, E-41092 Sevilla, Spain Departamento de Ingenier a Mec anica, Energ etica y de los Materiales, Universidad de Extremadura, E-06071 Badajoz, Spain 3 Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, E-41012 Seville, Spain 4 Ingeniatrics Tecnolog as, S. L., Camas, E-41900 Sevilla, Spain
1

Abstract In this review, we aim at establishing a relationship between the fundamentals of the microuidics technologies used in the Pharmacy eld, and the achievements accomplished by those technologies. We describe the main methods for manufacturing micrometer drops, bubbles, and capsules, as well as the corresponding underlying physical mechanisms. In this regard, the review is intended to show non-specialist readers the dynamical processes which determine the success of microuidics techniques. Flow Focusing (FF) is a droplet-based method widely used to produce dierent types of uid entities on a continuous basis by applying an extensional co-ow. We take this technique as an example to illustrate how microuidics technologies for drug delivery are progressing from a deep understanding of the physics of uids involved. Specically, we describe the limitations of FF, and review novel methods which enhance its stability and robustness. In the last part of this paper, we review some of the accomplishments of microuidics when it comes to drug manufacturing and delivery. Special attention is paid to the production of the microencapsulated form because this uidic structure gathers the main functionalities sought for in Pharmacy. We also show how FF has been adapted to satisfy an ample variety of pharmaceutical requirements to date.
Preprint submitted to Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews July 11, 2013