Medical products such as ointment or syringes reach their limits when medicines need to be delivered locally – and above all in a controlled manner over a long period of time. Edith Perret from Empa´s “Advanced Fibers” labratory in St. Gallen is therefore developing medical fibers with very special “inner values”. The polymer fibers enclose a liquid core with active medical ingredients. The aim is to create medical products with special capabilities, e. g. surgical structures, wound dressings and textile implants that can precisely administer painkillers, antibiotics or insulin over a longer period of time. The aim is also to enable individual dosage in the sense of personalized medicine.

Polycaprolactone (PCL), a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, serves as a sheath for these fibers, which are produced in a special pilot plant. Laboratory tests show that small molecules such as ibuprofen diffuse through the sheath, while larger molecules are released at the ends of the fibers. The release of the active ingredients can be controlled by parameters such as the sheath thickness and crystal structure. This technology opens up a wide range of applications, including the potential use for homone replacement therapies. Future collaboration with clinical partners will promote further innovative applications.

• Literature: M. Röthlisberger, S. Dul, P. Meier, G. Giovannini, R. Hufenus, and E. Perret; Drug delivery with melt-spun liquid-core fibers; Polymer (2024); doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2024.126885

• Source: Dr. Six, Andrea (2024, March 11th): “Inner values”. Empa Quaterly 83. https://www.empa.ch/web/s604/eq83-medizinische-textilien