Soft robotics enables the design of soft machines and devices at different scales. The compliance and mechanical properties of soft robots make them especially interesting for medical applications. Depending on the level of interaction with humans, different levels of biocompatibility and biomimicry are required for soft materials used in robots. In this Review, we investigate soft robots for biomedical applications, including soft tools for surgery, diagnosis and drug delivery, wearable and assistive devices, prostheses, artificial organs and tissue-mimicking active simulators for training and biomechanical studies. We highlight challenges regarding durability and reliability, and examine traditional and novel soft and active materials as well as different actuation strategies. Finally, we discuss future approaches and applications in the field. Soft robots have broad applications in medicine. In this Review, biomedical applications, including surgery, drug delivery, prostheses, wearable devices and artificial organs, are discussed in the context of materials, actuation strategies and challenges.

Biomedical applications of soft robotics

Film formation and deposition methods of edible coating on food products: A review.

Film forming systems for topical and transdermal drug delivery

Advances in tissue engineering of nanocellulose-based scaffolds: A review.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is a hydrophilic polymer widely employed as a carrier in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, and nutraceutical fields. Up to now, several PVP-based systems have been developed to deliver different active principles, of both natural and synthetic origin. Various formulations and morphologies have been proposed using PVP, including microparticles and nanoparticles, fibers, hydrogels, tablets, and films. Its versatility and peculiar properties make PVP one of the most suitable and promising polymers for the development of new pharmaceutical forms. This review highlights the role of PVP in drug delivery, focusing on the different morphologies proposed for different polymer/active compound formulations. It also provides detailed information on active principles and used technologies, optimized process parameters, advantages, disadvantages, and final applications.

The Use of Poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) in the Delivery of Drugs: A Review

Thin films as an emerging platform for drug delivery

β-Lapachone has drawn increasing attention as an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer drug. However, its oral bioavailability has not been yet assessed, which might be useful to develop efficient dosage forms possibly required for non-clinical and clinical studies and future market. The aim of the present study was thus to investigate pharmacokinetic properties of β-lapachone as well as its first-pass metabolism in the liver, and small and large intestines after oral administration to measure the absolute bioavailability in rats. A sensitive HPLC method was developed to evaluate levels of β-lapachone in plasma and organ homogenates. The drug degradation profiles were examined in plasma to assess the stability of the drug and in liver and intestinal homogenates to evaluate first-pass metabolism. Pharmacokinetic profiles were obtained after oral and intravenous administration of β-lapachone at doses of 40 mg/kg and 1.5 mg/kg, respectively. The measured oral bioavailability of β-lapachone was 15.5%. The considerable degradation of β-lapachone was seen in the organ homogenates but the drug was quite stable in plasma. In conclusion, we suggest that the fairly low oral bioavailability of β-lapachone may be resulted from the first-pass metabolic degradation of β-lapachone in the liver, small and large intestinal tracts and its low aqueous solubility.

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Preclinical Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of β-Lapachone: Characteristics of Oral Bioavailability and First-Pass Metabolism in Rats

This study investigated the interaction between polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) and several ionic and nonionic isotonic agents, thickeners and a preservative that were employed as excipients in ophthalmic preparations. Interaction of each individual excipient and PDRN aqueous solution was evaluated by analyzing their rheological properties. Rheological properties of PDRN solutions were evaluated by dynamic oscillatory shear tests and values of elastic modulus (G'), viscous modulus (G″) and loss tangent (tan δ) were used to assess the relative changes in viscoelastic properties. At given concentrations, sodium chloride was found to show alteration in viscoelastic properties of PDRN solution while nonionic isotonic agents like d-glucose and d-sorbitol did not alter them. Similarly, nonionic water soluble polymers like polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) also did not interact with PDRN to alter the viscoelastic properties. However, there were changes observed when carbopol 940 was used as a thickener. Therefore, PDRN was found to interact with ionic excipients and the interactions were negligible when nonionic materials were examined, which suggests that nonionic excipients are suitable to be formulated with PDRN.

Viscoelastic interactions between polydeoxyribonucleotide and ophthalmic excipients.

Celecoxib is a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug used in the treatment of pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis, and several other inflammatory disorders. It is a class II compound according to the Biopharmaceutics Classification System owing to its low water solubility and high membrane permeability. The objective of this study was to improve the solubility and dissolution rate of celecoxib using solid surfactant technology that might be useful in developing solid dosage forms. Solid surfactant was developed by mixing and grinding together a liquid surfactant (Tween 80) with various inorganic carriers like Fujicalin® (Dibasic Calcium Phosphate Anhydrous), Pineflow® (Porous-structured Maltodextrin), Neusilin® (Magnesium Alumino metasilicate) and Aerosil® (Colloidal Silicon dioxide) in a mortar and pestle in different ratios of liquid surfactant and the carrier to obtain solid surfactants. The celecoxib tablets prepared with solid surfactants were then evaluated for their solubility and dissolution properties. Among the fillers used, Fujicalin showed the highest solubilization capacity for celecoxib. The dissolution behaviors of various tablets prepared with solidified surfactants were compared to those of conventional celecoxib tablets in a simulated gastric fluid. Celecoxib tablets prepared using solidified surfactants showed improved dissolution behaviors when compared to the conventional counterparts. Fujicalin solidified Tween 80 was further analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction analysis, differential scanning calorimetry thermographs and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography.

Sandeep Karki

Papers

Thin films as an emerging platform for drug delivery

Preclinical Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of β-Lapachone: Characteristics of Oral Bioavailability and First-Pass Metabolism in Rats

Viscoelastic interactions between polydeoxyribonucleotide and ophthalmic excipients.

Solubility enhancement of celecoxib using solidified Tween 80 for the formulation of tablet dosage forms