Development of a 3D Printed Refillable Drug Delivery Device for Sustained Release to the Retina

摘要

Retinal degenerative diseases (RDD) such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) cause progressive loss of vision, affecting millions of people worldwide. Drug delivery system (DDS) such as vitreous injection and intraocular implant has been widely investigated to treat RDD. However, they are invasive and can risk infection of the eye. Thus, we have been working on the development of transscleral DDS, which are less invasive and can achieve more localized release of drug than the conventional methods. We have previously reported capsule-type and sheet-type DDS devices that can be implanted on the transscleral (periocular) region of the eye. However, such devices need to be replaced once drug run out. Herein, we report a 3D printed refillable DDS device for long term delivery of drugs to the retina.