Microfluidic nanoprecipitation systems for preparing pure drug or polymeric drug loaded nanoparticles: an overview

ABSTRACT

Introduction: This review gives an overview of the different microfluidic setups used to produce either pure drug or drug-loaded polymeric nanoparticles.

Area covered: We propose a description of the different fluidic principles reported in the literature, explaining their respective design and configuration in parallel with the technical challenges related to the nanoprecipitation of the polymer, in relation with the results obtained, e.g., particle size, distribution and productivity.

Expert opinion: This review is mostly intended for a broad readership and provides key tools regarding the choice of microfluidic setups, tailored to given specifications. We discuss the specificities and geometries of the microfluidic devices intended to nanoprecipitation, advantages, drawbacks and limitations.

KEYWORDS:

• Microfluidic system
• nanoprecipitation
• nanoparticles
• drug loaded
• polymer
• drug

Article highlights

• Review on microfluidic systems used to precipitate a polymer or a pure drug into different types of nanoparticles;

• Several micromixers are described and compared against their design, fluidic principle and the size range and production rate of the generated nanoparticles;

• State-of-the-art for polymer nanoprecipitation in microfluidic device is reviewed including a description of the application as drug delivery system;

• The interplay between microfluidic systems, nanoparticles production rates and nanoparticles sizes is reviewed and commented to help the reader to choose the most suitable system for his own application;

• Future developments in this field are also discussed

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Declaration of interest

The authors were supported by the Université de Strasbourg (Unistra), Strasbourg, France. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.