The solubilization behaviour of a number of essential oils (EOs) containing volatile phenolic constituents was investigated in five different micellar solutions. These oils include clove bud (Eugenia caryophyllata), thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and oregano (Thymus capitatus). Ternary and pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were constructed to assess the ability for microemulsion formation and dilutability of each system using non-ionic surfactants. Results showed that Tween 20 (T20) was more suitable to solubilize these oils compared with Tween 80 (T80). Clove EO was found to be easily microemulsifiable compared with the other EOs, whereas oregano showed the least tendency to form a microemulsion. Particle sizes measured at different dilution lines ranged between 5.9 and 16.9 nm. The chemical composition of each EO was revealed by gas chromatography and was correlated with the observed solubilization behaviour. The presence of solubilization enhancers like poly-ols and short-chain alcohols improved solubilization of all EOs; however, establishment of new dilution lines was controlled by EO type. Physical stability assessment showed that all microemulsions were stable against alternate freeze/thaw cycles which extended for 1 week. On the contrary, each system showed different temperature sensitivity in the thermal stress assessment. The results of this investigation can be useful in fabrication of thermodynamically stable aqueous system carrying aromatic and bioactive phenolics for different applications in personal hygiene, cosmetic, fragrance and pharmaceutical products.

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Aims To retrospectively evaluate the quality of fit of 3D printed bolus over four different treatment sites to determine whether certain sites favor a 3D printed approach and if the quality of fit changes over the course of treatment. Materials and methods A retrospective analysis of the first 60 cases treated using 3D printed bolus in our radiotherapy center was undertaken. All boluses were printed using flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material. We developed a system of rating the quality of fit using four quality categories. The analysis of 60 patients consisted of a review of a total 627 treatment fractions for head and neck (H&N), scalp, pelvis, and extremity treatment sites. Results Out of 627 fractions evaluated, 75.1% were rated either “good” or “excellent”, 20.6% were rated as “acceptable” and 4.3% were rated “poor”. H&N, scalp, and extremity treatment regions were found to favor a 3D printed approach. However, pelvis cases had a higher proportion of “acceptable” and “poor” ratings. Trend analysis showed no notable change in the quality of 3D printed bolus fit over the course of treatment, except for pelvis cases which tended to change categories more than other treatment sites. Conclusion This evaluation demonstrates that 3D printed bolus, created using semi‐flexible materials such as TPU, is an effective and practical bolus choice for radiotherapy. In particular, using a 3D printed approach for H&N, scalp, and extremities was found to have a highly conformal fit.

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