Transmucosal insulin delivery

• Main Author: Muhammad Qadhin Ahmad
• Other Authors: Zhou Yufeng
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/75649
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Most research on ultrasound-induced drug transport enhancement focus on the use of low-frequency ultrasound (<100 kHz) and skin tissue as the membrane of choice. However, the argument against using skin is its low passive permeability. As such, the following study will use esophageal mucosa as the membrane and insulin transmission across the mucosa at various acoustic parameters will be tested. Additionally, only intermediate- (500 kHz) and high-frequency (1 MHz) ultrasound will be used. The study found that at 10% duty cycle, increasing applied intensity leads to an increase in insulin transmission across the mucosa with both the 500 kHz and 1 MHz transducer. Insulin transmission at 30% duty cycle for the 1 MHz transducer was less than satisfactory, with observed concentration values being lower than those at 10% duty cycle and in some cases even lower than passive conditions. The significance of the results obtained is put into question by the large variability in concentration values at each data point. Thus, much effort was placed in identifying the limitations of the existing experimental method and in developing possible solutions so as to provide a clearer understanding for future work.