Mathematical modelling of PLGA degradation using deterministic population balance model

• Main Author: Yip, Jason Kong Wai.
• Other Authors: Zhao Yang
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Computer science and engineering::Computing methodologies::Simulation and modeling
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/15345
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In the recent years there has been an increasing interest in the application of biodegradable polymer for drug delivery systems. The degradation of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) ,PLGA is one such type of polymer that has been the focus of many recent studies. Like most polymers related phenomenon, the many probabilistic models describing PLGA hydrolysis has been very limited to a micro scale. This is insufficient or inefficient for use in larger scale research or industrial applications. In order to quantify and describe the various findings mathematically, a model is needed to be able to predict polymer degradation on a macro scale. This report shall propose and describe a deterministic Population Balancing method using a binary tree model to simulate PLGA hydrolytic degradation. A comparison will be made of the simulated data and the theoretical degradation data. The report shall also show the capability of the model to demonstrate degradation with different initial polymeric factors such as molecular weight. Lastly a method will be proposed to use this binary tree model to simulate more complicate cases of PLGA degradation where diffusion rate is a limiting factor.