Thin films of polymer blends for controlled drug delivery deposited by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation

We demonstrate the use of matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation technique for incorporating drugs (indomethacin) within thin films of polymer blends, to be used as biodegradable implants that deliver drugs in a controlled manner. For irradiation at fluences up to 1 J/cm(2), the films show excellent surface morphology and the chemical structure of all constituent polymers within the blend is well preserved. The optical characteristics of the films are assessed by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The presence of the drug within the polymeric films is confirmed by its specific absorption at 319 nm. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3453756]