Theoretical model for diffusion-reaction based drug delivery from a multilayer spherical capsule

Jain, A., Mcginty, S. , Pontrelli, G. and Zhou, L. (2022) Theoretical model for diffusion-reaction based drug delivery from a multilayer spherical capsule. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 183(Part A), 122072. (doi: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.122072)

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Abstract

Controlled drug delivery from a multilayer spherical capsule is used for several therapeutic applications. Developing a theoretical understanding of mass transfer in the multilayer capsule is critical for understanding and optimizing targeted drug delivery. This paper presents an analytical solution for the mass transport problem in a general multilayer sphere involving diffusion as well as drug immobilization in various layers due to binding reactions. An eigenvalue-based solution for this multilayer diffusion-reaction problem is derived in terms of various non-dimensional quantities including Sherwood and Damköhler numbers. It is shown that unlike diffusion-reaction problems in heat transfer, the present problem does not admit imaginary eigenvalues. The effect of binding reactions represented by the Damköhler numbers and outer surface boundary condition represented by the Sherwood number on drug delivery profile is analyzed. It is shown that a low Sherwood number not only increases drug delivery time, but also reduces the total mass of drug delivered. The mass of drug delivered is also shown to reduce with increasing Damköhler number. The impact of shell thickness is analyzed. The effect of a thin outer coating is accounted for by lumping the mass transfer resistance in series with convective boundary resistance, and a non-dimensional number involving the thickness and diffusion coefficient of the coating is shown to govern its impact on drug delivery characteristics. The analytical model presented here improves the understanding of mass transfer in a multilayer spherical capsule in presence of binding reactions, and may help design appropriate experiments for down-selecting candidate materials and geometries for drug delivery applications of interest.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:Funding from the European Research Council under the European Unions Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (No. FP/2014\0552020)/ ERC Grant Agreement No. 739964 (COPMAT) is acknowledged. This work is also partially supported by Italian MIUR (PRIN 2017 project: Mathematics of active materials: from mechanobiology to smart devices, project number 2017KL4EF3.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Mcginty, Dr Sean
Creator Roles:
Mcginty, S.Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Validation
Authors: Jain, A., Mcginty, S., Pontrelli, G., and Zhou, L.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Biomedical Engineering
Journal Name:International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:0017-9310
ISSN (Online):1879-2189
Published Online:14 November 2021
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd.
First Published:First published in International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 183(Part A): 122072
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

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