Abstract
Functionally graded materials (FGMs), possessing properties that vary smoothly from one region to another,
have been receiving increasing attention in recent years, particularly in the aerospace, automotive and
biomedical sectors. However, they have yet to reach their full potential. In this paper, we explore the potential
of FGMs in the context of drug delivery, where the unique material characteristics offer the potential of finetuning
drug-release for the desired application. Specifically, we develop a mathematical model of drug release
from a thin film FGM, based upon a spatially-varying drug diffusivity. We demonstrate that, depending on the
functional form of the diffusivity (related to the material properties) a wide range of drug release profiles
may be obtained. Interestingly, the shape of these release profiles are not, in general, achievable from a
homogeneous medium with a constant diffusivity.
Anno
2023
Autori IAC
Tipo pubblicazione
Altri Autori
Gabriella Bretti, Sean McGinty, Giuseppe Pontrelli
Editore
Pergamon,
Rivista
Computers in biology and medicine