Week 3 (Design Proposal)

Transdermal Hydrogel Patch for Topical Delivery of Ibuprofen

Abstract

The goal of the design is to create a safe and effective transdermal hydrogel patch that delivers ibuprofen topically to an affected muscle group. Muscle pain is a very common affliction that is treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or a variety of over the counter drugs. Ibuprofen is typically chosen to relieve such pain. However, some people are unable to take the drug orally. An alternative to oral ibuprofen is ibuprofen gel, where users must apply the gel topically and wait for the medication to absorb into the skin. A transdermal hydrogel patch is a more efficient way of delivering ibuprofen to a specific area of the body due to permeation rate and placement directly on the source of pain. Certain challenges of the design process include research of hydrogel formation, testing of hydrogel durability and permeability, and creation and testing of the final design. Working prototype and data are the final deliverables.   

Deliverables 

The major deliverable of this design will be a full size, functional prototype of the patch. As mentioned, the permeability of the drug through the skin will not have been tested, so although the prototype will be theoretically functional, it will not be fit for testing on human subjects.

As described, the patch will be composed of a hydrogel imbibed with an ibuprofen solution and a fabric/other material outer layer with adhesive to fix the patch to the skin.

The various tests that must be performed during the process of the creation of this prototype will yield both qualitative and quantitative data, the other deliverables of the design project.

Project Timeline

Task	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Literature study	x	x	x	x
Hydrogel design			x	x	x
Ibuprofen permeability testing				x	x	x
Ibuprofen and hydrogel integration						x	x
Material and adhesive selection							x	x
Prototype assembly								x	x
Final report preparation								x	x	x

Budget

Category	Projected Cost*
Sodium alginate	$10.00 - $35.00
Ibuprofen	$5.00
Fabric	$6.00 - $20.00
Adhesive	$12.00 - $38.00
TOTAL	$33.00 - $98.00

Table 2: Design project budget.

*Projected costs were determined by referring to references [8,10,11]

Amended Project budget (May-2-2014)

Item	Price	Need to Purchase
*Sodium Alginate Hydrogel Polymer	40
*Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS)	51
*Calcium Carbonate	40
Cuvettes	28	28
Teflon Spacers	20	20
*Ibuprofen	5
*Binder clips	5
Glass plates	25	25
Syringe	50	50
*Micropipette and tips	300
Fabric	10	10
Adhesive	25	25
Total	599	158

Sodium Alginate Hydrogel

To design a transdermal patch, a hydrogel will be used as main drug delivering portion of the patch. The largest surface area of the hydrogel will be in contact with the skin, while the outer layer will be covered in a water resistant adhesive bandage fabric. The hydrogel this design will use is a sodium alginate hydrogel.

Ibuprofen

The pain relieving active ingredient of this transdermal patch will be in the form of the pain reliever ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is a common pain reliever and can be found in all drug stores in pill form.  

Fabric

A medical fabric bandage will be needed to keep the hydrogel from desiccating. This is highly important to the design because of the importance of the water rich barrier important to effective drug delivery. The hydrogel needs a barrier to the air that is both able to hold the hydrogel in place and keep it stable, as well as by dry on the outside for the comfort of the patient.  

Adhesive

Adhesive will be required to keep the patch in place. This will be added to the fabric bandage if not already incorporated into the fabric bandage. The adhesive will function as a stabilizer for the patch as well as a barrier for hydrogel to remain in.