3D Printed Carbon Nanotube Array Interface for In Vivo Drug Delivery

The development of gene therapies, small molecules and nanoparticle-based therapeutics in pharmacology have prompted the need for parenteral administration as they possess limited bioactivity, low stability, high specificity and potency. The ability to directly deliver drugs to a specific area offers the capability of minimized required drug quantity, localization of exposure, and limited systemic side effects. Currently, there is no standard for the creation of implantable devices to monitor health status and provide therapeutic treatment. We explored the applications and uses for carbon nanotube based arrays for in vivo drug delivery, specifically as an implantable reusable mode of delivery. The increased availability of 3D printing allows for not only the rapid and reproducible fabrication of designs, but also the ability to incorporate these carbon nanotube arrays in ways that are not feasible using traditional machining methods. These techniques offer the means to design and fabricate a reservoir on carbon nanotube arrays to create a loadable reservoir that can regulate flow, dispensing cargo for mass cellular injection. This research focuses primarily on the development of an attachable drug reservoir for these devices and looks to explore the possibilities of designing reservoirs made out of biocompatible 3D printed materials such as plastics, alloys, or bioceramics. We explored several routes, including a rigid and semi-rigid, as well as how each design impacted the flow through the membrane.