ABSTRACT
Electrospun nanofibers have a very large surface-area-to-volume ratio, as large as 1000 times that of a microfiber. This physical property has generated a significant amount of interest in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries particularly for drug delivery of poorly soluble drug substances. The electrospun nanofibers are preferably a homogeneous mixture of polymer and drug, thus the particle size of the drug should be significantly less than the diameter of the nanofiber. The intrinsic properties of the polymer form the basis for the type of drug release that occurs from the nanofibers. Although proof of concept has been achieved with electrospun nanofibers for dissolution enhancement and controlled drug release, the use of electrospinning in the pharmaceutical industry is still in its infancy. Full process control of the nanofiber production requires measurement and control of fiber size, fiber size distribution, and quantity of fibers.
