Modeling and simulation of drug release from multi-layer biodegradable polymer microstructure in three dimensions

Multi-layer biodegradable polymer drug delivery microstructures with micro-chambers have many exceptional advantages in a long-term controlled drug delivery. In this paper, a mathematical model for the drug release from this type of three-dimensional (3D) drug delivery microstructures is presented by using 3D cellular automata and discrete iterations. The validity of the model is proved by comparing with the Gőpferich’s simulated profiles for the same composite polymer cylinder matrices. Based on this model, furthermore, the simulations are done to describe the dynamic behavior of drug release from this type of microstructures. The simulation results show that this 3D mathematical model can describe accurately the drug release behavior and therefore can provide a new optimal design tool for this kind of multi-layer biodegradable polymer drug delivery microstructure.