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3D Printing of Pharmaceuticals pp 55–79Cite as

The History, Developments and Opportunities of Stereolithography

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Part of the book series: AAPS Advances in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Series ((AAPS,volume 31))

Abstract

Stereolithography (SLA) is an additive manufacturing technique that uses light as the source of energy. SLA 3D printing (3DP) was the first rapid prototyping method developed and perhaps the most popular due to its superior resolution and accuracy. Due to its versatility, SLA has been widely studied for its use in tissue engineering or in dentistry. In the pharmacoprinting field, SLA offers a great potential for fabricating complex drug delivery systems as well as approaching the need to manufacture personalised medicine. Despite this, research in the use of SLA 3DP in the pharmaceutical area is still limited. This chapter presents an overview of the fundamental science behind the photopolymerisation process and the SLA 3DP technologies available. A variety of its biomedical uses are presented. The multiple potential pharmaceutical applications and recent advances are reviewed, along with the advantages and limitations of this rapid prototyping technique for the manufacture of modern medicines.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK

    Pamela Robles Martinez, Abdul W. Basit & Simon Gaisford

  2. FabRx Ltd., Ashford, Kent, UK

    Abdul W. Basit & Simon Gaisford

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  1. Pamela Robles Martinez
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  2. Abdul W. Basit
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Correspondence to Pamela Robles Martinez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, United Kingdom

    Abdul W. Basit

  2. Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, United Kingdom

    Simon Gaisford

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Robles Martinez, P., Basit, A.W., Gaisford, S. (2018). The History, Developments and Opportunities of Stereolithography. In: Basit, A., Gaisford, S. (eds) 3D Printing of Pharmaceuticals. AAPS Advances in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Series, vol 31. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90755-0_4

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