Title:	3D-printed detachable tablets for flexible dosing in personalized medicine : influence of score geometry and printing technology
Authors:	Oliveira, Gabriel de Sousa Barreto, Livia Cristina Lira de Sá Lima, Ana Luiza Gross, Idejan Padilha Pinho, Ludmila Alvim Gomes Souza, Patrícia Medeiros Gratieri, Taís Gelfuso, Guilherme Martins Cunha Filho, Marcílio Sérgio Soares da
metadata.dc.identifier.orcid:	https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7175-164X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2177-8941 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9167-6852
metadata.dc.contributor.affiliation:	University of Brasilia, Laboratory of Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics University of Brasilia, Laboratory of Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics University of Brasilia, Laboratory of Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics University of Brasilia, Laboratory of Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics University of Brasilia University of Brasilia, School of Health Sciences University of Brasilia, Laboratory of Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics University of Brasilia, Laboratory of Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics University of Brasilia, Laboratory of Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics
Assunto::	Impressão 3D Medicina personalizada Modelagem de deposição fundida Jato de ligante Comprimido destacável
Issue Date:	25-Mar-2026
Publisher:	Elsevier B. V.
Citation:	OLIVEIRA, Gabriel S. et al. 3D-printed detachable tablets for flexible dosing in personalized medicine: influence of score geometry and printing technology. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, [S. l.], V. 120, 108278, 2026. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2026.108278. Disponível em: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1773224726003035?via%3Dihub. Acesso em: 30 jul. 2026.
Abstract:	Tablet subdivision is widely used for dosage adjustment, particularly in pediatrics and geriatrics, but conven tional splitting often leads to poor dose uniformity, increased friability, and stability issues. This study explored the feasibility of two leading 3D printing technologies, fused deposition modeling (FDM) and binder jetting (BJ), for producing detachable tablets specifically designed for accurate subdivision. Tablets were designed with distinct score geometries (continuous and dotted) and fabricated using PVA (FDM) or calcium sulfate (BJ). In addition, a representative drug-loaded FDM sample was also evaluated. BJ tablets were further treated with saline to enhance structural cohesion. The printed dosage forms were systematically characterized for mass variation, mass loss, friability, pore volume, and morphology. Results demonstrated that FDM tablets achieved the highest performance, with mass variation consistently below 2% and negligible mass loss (<0.1%), even after subdivision into eighths, with comparable subdivision accuracy observed for the drug-loaded formulation. BJ tablets showed greater variability but achieved acceptable results when optimized with dotted-score design and saline post-treatment, with friability values (~0.3%), well below the 1% pharmacopeial limit. Morphological analyses confirmed improved cohesion and reduced porosity after post-treatment. Overall, these findings demonstrate the potential of 3D printing to overcome the limitations of conventional tablet splitting by enabling dosage forms specifically engineered for accurate and reproducible subdivision. This approach may complement both individualized and large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing scenarios.
metadata.dc.description.unidade:	Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde (FS) Departamento de Farmácia (FS FAR) Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologias em Saúde (FCTS) – Campus UnB Ceilândia
metadata.dc.description.ppg:	Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde
Licença::	This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
DOI:	http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2026.108278
Appears in Collections:	Artigos publicados em periódicos e afins

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