Design project on controlled-release drug delivery devices: Implementation, management, and learning experiences

Abstract

The introduction of a drug delivery project in a mass transfer course is reported. The aim of the project is to introduce students to the most important, cutting-edge technologies used in the fabrication of drug delivery systems and provide a practical exercise in the design of these delivery devices using MATLAB software. The project consists of three main sections. For the first section, the teams are required to conduct a review of the research literature on the subject of polymeric micro- and nano-particle fabrication and summarize recent developments. For the second section, the teams are required to perform vigorous mass transfer calculations for the design of controlled-release drug delivery devices using MATLAB. The project statement requires the delivery device to have at least 20% of the drug being released to the body within one week. Four geometries of the delivery device made of polymer A have been proposed. The open-ended component of the project was intended to allow room for creativity in responses from the various teams.