OCULAR THERAPEUTIC SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLED DRUG DELIVERY

IT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT TO DEVELOP A BANDAGE CONTACT LENS OR OPHTHALMIC INSERT THAT WOULD CONTINUOUSLY CONTROL THE DELIVERY OF A DRUG FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THESE POTENTIAL PRODUCTS WILL CONSIST OF A HYDROGEL CORE CONTAINING THE DISPERSED OR DISSOLVED THERAPEUTIC AGENTTHAT IS ENCAPSULATED BY A DIFFUSION-LIMITING BARRIER MEMBRANE COATING. THE KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THE DEVICE WILL BE THE MEMBRANE COATING. LANGMUIR-BLODGETT MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY IS A SPECIALIZED COATING PROCESS IN WHICH THE ORGANIC COATING IS BUILT UP BY THE SUBSEQUENT ADDITIONS OF MONOMOLECULAR LAYERS. THE COATING PROCESS IS VERY MILD AND DOES NOT REQUIRE HARSH CHEMICALS OR HIGH TEMPERATURES. BECAUSE THE COATING THICKNESS CAN BE ADJUSTED WITH EASE AND PRECISION AND BECAUSE THE MILD PROCESS WILL ALLOW THE INCORPORATION OF LABILE SYNTHETIC AND BIOLOGICAL DRUGS, MOLECULAR MEMBRANETECHNOLOGY WILL BE UTILIZED TO DEVELOP THE OCULAR DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM.