This work explores the potential of polymeric micrometer sized devices (microcontainers) as oral drug delivery systems (DDS). Arrays of detachable microcontainers (D-MCs) were fabricated on a sacrificial layer to improve the handling and facilitate the collection of individual D-MCs. A model drug, ketoprofen, was loaded into the microcontainers using supercritical CO impregnation, followed by deposition of an enteric coating to protect the drug from the harsh gastric environment and to provide a fast release in the intestine. In vitro, in vivo and ex vivo studies were performed to assess the viability of the D-MCs as oral DDS. D-MCs improved the relative oral bioavailability by 180% within 4h, and increased the absorption rate by 2.4 times compared to the control. This work represents a significant step forward in the translation of these devices from laboratory to clinic.

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The focus of this paper is on the theoretical interpretation of Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (LF-NMR) data regarding hydrogels architecture and on the most interesting applications of LF-NMR

a b s t r a c tWe present an innovative technique to dispense precise amounts of polymer solutions into large arrays of microscopic wells. An inkjet printer (NP 2.1 GeSim, Germany) is used to fill micro-wells with poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP K10). The micro-wells are fabricated with cavity diameters of 300 lm down to 50 lm with SU-8 with two steps of negative photolithography. Inkjet printing is shown to be a suitable technique to dispense defined volumes of solution (down to 0.3 nL) in a highly reproducible way. The filling with polymer can be controlled varying the concentration of the solution and the number of dispensed droplets. Solutions of up to 20 wt.% PVP in water are successfully spotted.