RIS ID

47253

Publication Details

McCue, S., Hsieh, M., Moroney, T. J. & Nelson, M. I. (2011). Asymptotic and numerical results for a model of solvent-dependent drug diffusion through polymeric spheres. SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, 71 (6), 2287-2311.

Abstract

A model for drug diffusion from a spherical polymeric drug delivery device is considered. The model contains two key features. The first is that solvent diffuses into the polymer, which then transitions from a glassy to a rubbery state. The interface between the two states of polymer is modeled as a moving boundary, whose speed is governed by a kinetic law; the same moving boundary problem arises in the one-phase limit of a Stefan problem with kinetic undercooling. The second feature is that drug diffuses only through the rubbery region, with a nonlinear diffusion coefficient that depends on the concentration of solvent. We analyze the model using both formal asymptotics and numerical computation, the latter by applying a front-fixing scheme with a finite volume method. Previous results are extended and comparisons are made with linear models that work well under certain parameter regimes. Finally, a model for a multilayered drug delivery device is suggested, which allows for more flexible control of drug release.

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

http://dx.doi.org/10.1137/110821688