Prusa i3 3d desktop printer

The tablets were designed using the Microsoft 3D Builder (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA) and converted to the .gcode file format using the CURA software (v. 15.04; Ultimaker, Geldermalsen, The Netherlands). The tablet dimensions (diameter of 10 mm; thickness of 4.5 mm) were determined based on the drug load. The tablets were fabricated with the extruded filaments using a commercial fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printer (Prusa i3 3D desktop printer, Prusa Research, Prague, Czech Republic) with an extruder that has an E3D V6 hot end and a 0.4-mm nozzle. The following printer settings produced the best tablets: a standard resolution with the raft option activated and an extrusion temperature of 200 °C. The other settings were as follows: bed temperature of 50 °C; printing speed of 50 mm/s; nozzle traveling speed of 50 mm/s; layer height of 0.10 mm; outside shell thickness of 0.4 mm. The infill percentage was set to 100%, so as to allow the printing of tablets with optimum characteristics. Then, the dimensions and weights of the 3D printed tablets were measured.

The model tablets were designed using Microsoft 3D Builder (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA), sliced using CURA software (version 15.04; Ultimaker, Geldermalsen, The Netherlands), and then converted to .gcode files. Nine tablets were designed, with the same overall tablet dimensions (diameter, 10 mm; thickness, 4.5 mm), but with different outside shell thicknesses or core fill densities (Figure 1). Tablets were fabricated from the extruded filaments using a commercial FDM-3D printer (Prusa i3 3D desktop printer, Prusa Research, Prague, Czech Republic) with an extruder, which had an E3D v6 HotEnd and a 0.4 mm nozzle. The best tablets were produced using standard resolution with the raft option activated, and an extrusion temperature of 200°C. Other settings used were as follows: bed temperature, 50°C; printing speed, 50 mm/s; nozzle traveling speed, 50 mm/s; layer height, 0.10 mm. The dimensions and weights of the 3D printed (3DP) tablets were then measured. To determine the dissolution kinetics, empty tablets (1.6 mm and 0.4 mm outside shell) were also printed.