Biomaterials Overview

Tablets are composed of active ingredients (drug), excipients (fillers, binders, disintegrates, etc) to help the drug function effectively.

Tablets are categorized by how quickly the medicine is released into the body (immediate, delayed, extended).

The most common type of tablet; the medicine dissolves quickly in the body.

Dissolves in water before use for fast drug action. Often used for pain relievers.

Tablets placed under the tongue (sublingual) or between the cheek and gum (buccal) for fast absorption into the bloodstream due to high blood vessel density.

The process of making tablets consists of filling, forming and removing/ejecting.

Mixing and clumping powders together into granules to make the ingredients evenly distributed.

Main purpose: prevent segregation of powder ingredients, caused by differences in size and density.

Drugs are selectively delivered to the precise site of action.

Enhanced permeability and retention; tumor vessels are leaky, allowing drug accumulation.

Drug release is triggered by specific stimuli like heat, ultrasound or light, releasing the drug on demand.

Drug release is triggered by increased glucose levels. Gel dehydrates at normal glucose, releasing drug at higher glucose.

Complex chemistry, lack of precise control over internal stimuli, and limited tissue penetration of external stimuli.

Well-defined contractile structures with intracellular calcium storage (sarcoplasmic reticulum).

Well-defined contractile structures with intracellular calcium storage (sarcoplasmic reticulum).

Electrically coupled to each other by gap junctions.

The interaction of thick and thin filaments in a sarcomere resulting in shortening.

The basic contractile unit of a muscle fiber.

The steps linking muscle fiber stimulation to contraction, specifically involving calcium.

Self-initiating action potentials, starting at the sinoatrial node (SAN).

The atrioventricular node (AVN) delays the spread of excitation to ventricles.

Rapid onset, potential for heart and respiratory issues, incompatible with insoluble drugs, and requires sterile technique.

The time when the drug concentration in the blood is highest.

The total amount of drug absorbed systemically.

The time it takes for the drug concentration in plasma to decrease by half.

The removal of drug by the liver during its first trip through the liver.

F = (fraction of drug absorbed) x (fraction that avoids first-pass metabolism).

The fraction of drug reaching the bloodstream in its active form after administration.

Gastric emptying time, presence of food, gastrointestinal motility, and GI perfusion rate.

Intranasal drug delivery offers higher bioavailability, meaning more drug reaches the bloodstream.

Intranasal drug delivery can lead to irritation of the nasal mucosa, making it uncomfortable.

Inhalation drug delivery bypasses the liver's first-pass metabolism, maximizing drug effectiveness.

Inhalation drug delivery can irritate the respiratory tract, causing coughing or discomfort.

Transdermal drug delivery provides a continuous and controlled release of medication over time.

The complete elimination of all living organisms and their spores, ensuring a product is free of contaminants.

The number of viable microorganisms present on a surface or in a product before sterilization.

Transdermal drug delivery is limited to potent drugs due to the skin's low permeability.

The probability of a product being non-sterile, aiming for a 1 in a million chance of contamination (10e-6).

Drug-coated stents are used in angioplasty to prevent blood clots from forming after surgery.

Microneedles are used to deliver medication directly to the eye, improving treatment outcomes.

Methods for achieving sterility, including steam, radiation, and gas sterilization.

Using high-pressure steam to kill microbes, effective but can deform certain materials.

Exposing products to ionizing radiation to kill microbes, can cause material degradation.

Using gases like ethylene oxide to sterilize, effective but requires long processing and potentially toxic residues.