Liposome Formation Using a Coaxial Turbulent Jet in Co-Flow. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • PURPOSE: Liposomes are robust drug delivery systems that have been developed into FDA-approved drug products for several pharmaceutical indications. Direct control in producing liposomes of a particular particle size and particle size distribution is extremely important since liposome size may impact cellular uptake and biodistribution. METHODS: A device consisting of an injection-port was fabricated to form a coaxial turbulent jet in co-flow that produces liposomes via the ethanol injection method. By altering the injection-port dimensions and flow rates, a fluid flow profile (i.e., flow velocity ratio vs. Reynolds number) was plotted and associated with the polydispersity index of liposomes. RESULTS: Certain flow conditions produced unilamellar, monodispersed liposomes and the mean particle size was controllable from 25 up to >465nm. The mean liposome size is highly dependent on the Reynolds number of the mixed ethanol/aqueous phase and independent of the flow velocity ratio. CONCLUSIONS: The significance of this work is that the Reynolds number is predictive of the liposome particle size, independent of the injection-port dimensions. In addition, a new model describing liposome formation is outlined. The significance of the model is that it relates fluid dynamic properties and lipid-molecule physical properties to the final liposome size.

published proceedings

  • Pharm Res

altmetric score

  • 1

author list (cited authors)

  • Costa, A. P., Xu, X., Khan, M. A., & Burgess, D. J.

citation count

  • 20

complete list of authors

  • Costa, Antonio P||Xu, Xiaoming||Khan, Mansoor A||Burgess, Diane J

publication date

  • February 2016