4D Printing in the Pharmaceutical Industry: The Future of Personalized Drug Delivery

4D PRINTING IN
PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
Presented by
Eleti Srija
25SP1S0306
Department of Pharmaceutics
JNTUH UCPS, Sultanpur
Guided by
Mrs. K. Sravanthi
M Pharm
Assistant Professor(C)

Contents
1. Introduction
2. What is 4D Printing?
3. Origin & early development of 4D Printing
4. Basic principle & Key materials used in 4D Printing
5. Differences between 3D & 4D Printing
6. Applications of 4D Printing in biomedical field & drug delivery
7. Instruments or technologies used
8. Advantages & Disadvantages
9. Current marketed products in 4D printing
10.References

Introduction
Drug delivery research aims to improve therapeutic effectiveness, patient
compliance, and site-specific action.
Conventional dosage forms are static and cannot adapt after administration.
4D printing (4DP) introduces time-dependent transformation, allowing dosage
forms to change shape or structure inside the body.
This technology combines additive manufacturing (3D printing) with smart
materials to create dynamic pharmaceutical devices.

What is 4D Printing?
4D printing (4DP) is an advanced extension of 3D printing technology that
incorporates time as the fourth dimension, allowing printed objects to change
after fabrication.
Unlike conventional 3D-printed structures that remain static, 4D-printed objects
are designed to transform their shape, structure, or function over time.
These transformations occur when the printed material is exposed to specific
internal or external non mechanical stimuli.

Common stimuli include:
•Body temperature
•Biological fluids/moisture
•pH variations & Ion concentration
•Light, electric, or magnetic fields
(Schematic representation of 4D Printing)

Origin and early development of 4D Printing
The neologism “4D Printing” was born on stage during a Technology,
Entertainment, Design (TED) Talk, which was held in February 2013 by Skylar
Tibbits, founder of the Self-Assembly Lab (SAL) at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT).
He demonstrated early printed structures that could change shape over time
without manual assembly.
These structures were made of rigid parts connected by flexible hinges
composed of smart, water-responsive materials.

 Biomedical applications also emerged, including hydrogel-based
scaffolds that could fold and form tiny 3D shapes.
 These early developments established the foundation of 4D printing as
a technology for stimulus-driven, programmed transformation.
(Sequential transformation of a 4D printed structure over time, showing self-folding from a flat 2D form into a
complex 3D configuration in response to an external stimulus).
Time

Shape change in 4DP mainly occurs through two key mechanisms
1.Shape memory effect 2.Deformation mismatch
The basic principle of 4D printing (4DP) is to design printed objects with built-in
internal stress so that they can later change their shape in a controlled and
predictable way when triggered.
Basic principle of 4D Printing

The materials used for 4D printing are generally called Smart Materials as they
have the ability to change their properties over time.
These materials can respond to the external stimulus and possess behaviors like
self-assembly, self-healing, shape memory, and self-capability.
These materials allow printed objects to change shape over time when exposed
to stimuli like heat, water, light, electric energy, mechanical stress, magnetic
energy or pH.
Key materials used in 4D Printing

Key
materials
used in 4D
Printing
tha
t
that

Parameter 3D Printing in pharma 4D Printing in pharma
Meaning Makes a 3D object layer by
layer
Makes a 3D object that can
change shape over time
Nature of dosage
form
Static – remains the same
after printing
Dynamic – changes after
administration
Role of time Time is not involved after
printing
Time is the 4th dimension –
transformation happens
later
Materials used Normal pharmaceutical
polymers
Smart materials (shape
memory polymers,
hydrogels)
Differences between 3D & 4D Printing

Parameter 3D Printing in pharma 4D Printing in pharma
Behaviour inside
body
No structural change in body Changes shape due to body
temperature, fluids, or pH
Drug release Fixed release pattern Can give controlled or
triggered release after
shape change
Complexity Easier to design and
manufacture
More complex — needs
smart design and
programming
Examples in pharma Tablets, capsules, implants Self-expanding gastric
devices, bladder-retentive
systems

Applications of 4D Printing in biomedical field
4D printing technology is being explored in areas such as tissue regeneration,
soft robotics, diagnostic tools, medical devices, and biologic drug delivery.
1. In tissue engineering, smart scaffolds that mimic natural tissues and respond
to the body environment are being developed to help repair or replace
damaged tissues.

2. 4D printing also enables personalized medical devices that can be inserted in
a compact form and later expand or adapt inside the body. Examples include
devices made from shape memory polymers (SMPs) that change shape when
exposed to body temperature.
3. One of the most advanced applications is in vascular stents. These stents can
be printed in a larger original shape, compressed into a smaller temporary form
for easy insertion and
then expand at body
temperature once
placed in a blood vessel.

4. Personalized tracheal stents have also
been created using patient-specific
anatomical data, allowing the device to fit
precisely and restore its shape when
triggered, helping keep the airway open.
Applications of 4D printing in drug delivery
1. Stimuli-Responsive Drug Delivery Materials
These materials enable drug carriers to alter their structure after entering the
body, helping achieve controlled drug release and site-specific delivery.

2. Nature-Inspired Microneedle Systems
4D printing has been used to develop painless transdermal
drug delivery devices. These microneedles become
mechanically stronger after shape transformation, allowing
safe skin penetration and efficient drug administration.
3. Implantable and Scaffold-Based Drug Devices
Some 4D-printed systems function as drug-loaded scaffolds
or implantable devices. These devices are inserted in a
compact form and then expand or change shape inside the
body, reducing the need for invasive surgery.

5. Gastrointestinal (GI) Retentive Drug Delivery : 4D printing enables drug systems
that stay longer in the GI tract for sustained release. Theragrippers are tiny devices
with micro-tips that attach to intestinal tissue when triggered, allowing prolonged
drug delivery.
4. Controlled Drug Release Enhancement
To further control drug release rates, 4D-printed devices can be coated with
polymers such as Eudragit®, which regulate how quickly the drug diffuses out
without interfering with the shape-changing ability of the system.
(4DP gastro retentive helix-shaped device: virtual model of the device)

6. Bladder-Retentive Drug Delivery Systems
4D printing has also been used to design intravesical
(bladder) drug delivery devices. These systems are
inserted into the bladder in a thin, rod-like temporary
shape via catheter. After exposure to body temperature
and fluids, they recover their original curved or bent
shape, which prevents them from being expelled during
urination. Drug release continues over time, and the
device is eventually removed through gradual
dissolution or erosion.

4D printing uses advanced additive manufacturing techniques (vat
photopolymerization, extrusion-based printing, selective laser sintering, and
material jetting) to fabricate structures with smart, stimuli-responsive materials
that can change shape or function over time.
Instruments / technologies used in 4D Printing

1.Vat photo polymerization: uses a resin-
filled vat that is cured by UV radiation to
solidify the material onto a hard surface.
a)Stereo lithography (SLA ) A printing method
where liquid resins are solidified into
structures using laser or light exposure.
b) Digital light processing (DLP ) DLP printing
cures liquid resin using a digital light pattern
instead of a laser, enabling faster layer-by-layer.
c)Projection micro-stereo lithography (PmSL):is a
modified 3D printing method that uses focused light and
lenses to create very small, high-precision structures.

2.Extrusion based methods: Layer by layer, items
are constructed by extruding materials via a nozzle
and depositing them onto the printing bed.
3.Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is an additive
manufacturing process that uses a high-power laser to
fuse powdered material layer by layer into a solid 3D
object.
4.Material jetting inkjet 3D printer Using several print
heads to spray various photo-curable liquid resins
concurrently on the printing bed, inkjet 3D printing is
one technique for polymer printing.
Fused deposition modelling Direct ink writing

Advantages of 4D Printing
Advantages
of 4D
Printing
fragmentation

Disadvantages of 4D Printing
Printing
Disadvantages
of 4D Printing

Current Marketed Products in 4D Printing
 BeFC – Developing biofuel cells to power safe, biofabricated medical
products.
 4D Biomaterials (UK) – Partnered with BMF to produce microscale,
bioresorbable polymers for medical devices.
Ourobionics & BeFC – Working on 4D
bioprinting and cyborganic systems combined
with bio-enzymatic fuel technologies.
NanoRegMed Ltd. – Created graphene oxide–based
biomaterials (Hastalex and BionHastalex) for
biomedical applications.

References
1. Tren SJ, Awad A, Goyanes A, Gaisford S, Basit AW. 3D printing pharmaceuticals:
drug development to frontline care. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2018;39(5):440-451.
2. Awad A, Tren SJ, Gaisford S, Basit AW. 3D printed medicines: a new branch of
digital healthcare. Int J Pharm. 2018;548:586596.
3. Zema L, Melocchi A, Maroni A, Gazzaniga A. Three dimensional printing of
medicinal products and the challenge of personalized therapy. J Pharm Sci.
2017;106(7):1697-1705.
4. Awad A, Trenfield SJ, Goyanes A, Gaisford S, Basit AW. Reshaping drug
development using 3D printing. Drug Discov Today. 2018;23(8):1547-1555.
5. Firth J, Gaisford S, Basit AW. A new dimension: 4D printing opportunities in
pharmaceutics. In: Firth J, Gaisford S, Basit AW, editors. 3D Printing of
Pharmaceuticals. Cham: Springer; 2018. p. 153-162

4D Printing in the Pharmaceutical Industry: The Future of Personalized Drug Delivery

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