508 Chapter 27 Unsteady-State Molecular Diffusion

A representative spreadsheet solution is provided in Table 27.1. Note that in Table 27.1 the terms
within the series summation rapidly decay to zero after a few terms. The cumulative drug release vs.
time profile is shown in Figure 27.5. The drug-release profile is affected by the dimensionless
parameter DAB t=R2. If the diffusion coefficient DAB is fixed for a given drug and gel matrix, then the
critical engineering-design parameter we can manipulate is the bead radius R. As R increases, the rate
of drug release decreases; if it is desired to release 50% of Dramamine from a gel bead within 3 h, a
bead radius of 0.326 cm (3.26 mm) is required, as shown in Figure 27.5. Once the bead radius R is
specified, the initial concentration of Dramamine required in the bead can be backed out
mAo 3mAo 3ð10 mgÞ 68:9 mg
¼ ¼ ¼ cAo ¼
V 4pR3 4p(0:326 cm)3 cm3
In summary, a 6.52-mm-diameter bead with an initial concentration of 68:9 mg=cm3 will dose
out the required 5 mg of Dramamine within 3 h. The concentration profile along the r direction
at different points in time is provided in Figure 27.6. The concentration profile was calculated by
spreadsheet similar to the format given in Table 27.1. The concentration profile decreases as time
increases and then flattens out to zero after the drug is completely released from the bead.

1.0
Fraction of drug released, 1 – mA(t )/mAO

0.326 cm
0.8 0.163 cm

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Figure 27.5 Fractional drug
Time, t (h) release vs. time profiles.

100
3h
Drug concentration, cA(r, t) (mg /cm3)

12 h
80 24 h

60

40

20

0 Figure 27.6 Concentration

0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 profile of a 0.326-cm-radius
Radial position, r(cm) bead after 3, 12, and 24 h.