Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a 3D printing technique based on the deposition of successive layers of thermoplastic materials following their softening/melting. Such a technique holds huge potential for the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products and is currently under extensive investigation. Challenges in this field are mainly related to the paucity of adequate filaments composed of pharmaceutical grade materials, which are needed for feeding the FDM equipment. Accordingly, a number of polymers of common use in pharmaceutical formulation were evaluated as starting materials for fabrication via hot melt extrusion of filaments suitable for FDM processes. By using a twin-screw extruder, filaments based on insoluble (ethylcellulose, Eudragit(®) RL), promptly soluble (polyethylene oxide, Kollicoat(®) IR), enteric soluble (Eudragit(®) L, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate) and swellable/erodible (hydrophilic cellulose derivatives, polyvinyl alcohol, Soluplus(®)) polymers were successfully produced, and the possibility of employing them for printing 600μm thick disks was demonstrated. The behavior of disks as barriers when in contact with aqueous fluids was shown consistent with the functional application of the relevant polymeric components. The produced filaments were thus considered potentially suitable for printing capsules and coating layers for immediate or modified release, and, when loaded with active ingredients, any type of dosage forms.

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In the drug delivery area, versatile therapeutic systems intended to yield customized combinations of drugs, drug doses and release kinetics have drawn increasing attention, especially because of the advantages that personalized pharmaceutical treatments would offer. In this respect, a previously proposed capsular device able to control the release performance based on its design and composition, which could extemporaneously be filled, was improved to include multiple separate compartments so that differing active ingredients or formulations may be conveyed. The compartments, which may differ in thickness and composition, resulted from assembly of two hollow halves through a joint also acting as a partition. The systems were manufactured by fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing, which holds special potential for product personalization, and injection molding (IM) that would enable production on a larger scale. Through combination of compartments having wall thickness of 600 or 1200μm, composed of promptly soluble, swellable/erodible or enteric soluble polymers, devices showing two-pulse release patterns, consistent with the nature of the starting materials, were obtained. Systems fabricated using the two techniques exhibited comparable performance, thus proving the prototyping ability of FDM versus IM.

The body representation in the human mind is dynamic, and illusions or traumatic events can modify it to include additional limbs. This remarkable adaptability of the central nervous system to different body configurations opens new possibilities in the field of human augmentation. In order to fully exploit this potential, we developed a new type of wearable co-robot that can perform tasks in close coordination with the human user. The system, named Supernumerary Robotic Limbs (SRL), consists of two additional robotic arms worn through a backpack-like harness. The SRL can assist the user by holding objects, lifting weights and streamlining the execution of a task. If the SRL perform movements closely coordinated with the user and exhibit human-like dynamics, they might be incorporated into the body representation and perceived as parts of the user's body. As a result, the human would be able to extend the range of available skills and manipulation possibilities, performing tasks more effectively and with less effort. This paper presents a communication, estimation and control method for the SRL, aimed to perform tasks in tight coordination with the wearer. The SRL observes the user motion, and actively assists the human by employing a coordinated control algorithm. In particular, skills involving the direct cooperation of two human workers are transferred to the SRL and a single user. Demonstration data of the two humans -a leader and an assistant -are analyzed and a state estimation algorithm is extracted from them. This can be used to control the SRL accordingly with the used end effectors. A causal relationship relating the assistant's motion to the leader's motion is identified based on System Identification methods. This approach is applied to a drilling operation performed by two workers. An effective coordination skill is identified and transferred to the SRL, to make them act like the human follower.

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