Geração de microbolhas monodispersas utilizando o óleo de girassol como revestimento lipídico

Abstract

Microbubbles were initially introduced as contrast agents for ultrasound examinations as they are able to modify the signal-to-noise ratio in imaging, thus improving the assessment of clinical information on human tissue. Recent developments have demonstrated the feasibility of using these bubbles as drug carriers in localized delivery. In micro fluidics devices used for microbubbles generation, the bubbles are formed at the liquid gas interface through a strangulation process. A device that uses these features can produce microbubbles with small size dispersion in a single step. A T-junction micro fluidic device constructed using 3D prototyping was made for the production of mono dispersed microbubbles. These microbubbles use sunflower oil as a lipid layer. Were raised distribution curves of the diameter of the microbubbles in the number of events (microbubbles generated in a time interval). Stability studies for microbubbles with different diameters generated from a liquid phase of the same viscosity was conducted to evaluate whether microbubbles have the potential to be used as drug carriers. The biocompatibility of the coating layer, the ability to withstand pressure variations are essential for the microbubbles to be safely used in the role of drug transporters. The normal distribution curves found with small dispersion in relation to the diameter validates the process of generation of microbubbles with a low percentage coefficient of variation e, i.e., from 0.4 to 1.90%. The results indicated that the microfluidic device conceived can be used to produce microbubbles with low percentage coefficient of variation, using sunflower oil as a coating matrix. The population of microbubbles with air as the gas phase remained stable for 217 minutes for microbubbles with a mean diameter of 313.0 m. This stability decreased to 121 minutes for microbubbles with smaller mean diameter (73.7 m). These carrier units shown to be stable for periods of time long enough for clinical applications, even when using air as gaseous phase. The stability of the microbubbles can be improved with the use of biocompatible gases of higher molar mass and lower permeability relative to water (PFB or PFC). Studies were also performed to characterize the flow patterns where the region emphasizing the microbubbles was generated and a survey map flow regime in the region mentioned above. The results objectively illustrate the dynamic of the bubble generation process providing accurate indications of the physical parameters related to the production of microbubbles monodisperse oriented to clinical applications.