Indomethacin/Cu/LDPE porous composite for medicated copper intrauterine devices with controlled release performances

Abstract A novel functional material, indomethacin/copper/low density polyethylene (IDM/Cu/LDPE) porous composite, has been developed for medicated copper intrauterine devices (Cu-IUDs). The aim of this study was to report its preparation, structure and release performances. Samples of the IDM/Cu/LDPE porous composite were prepared by a combined technique involved in injection molding, particulate leaching, IDM solution incubating, and solvent vacuum drawing. Results of structure characterizations of these prepared samples show that the IDM/Cu/LDPE porous composite is obtained successfully and it is only a simple hybrid of IDM, copper particles and LDPE, and both the IDM and the copper particles are generally distributed homogeneously in its porous LDPE matrix. Results of IDM-loaded and release properties characterizations of these prepared samples show that the amount of loaded-IDM increases with the increasing of introduced porosity, and the release rates of both IDM and cupric ions increase with the increasing of porosity for these prepared samples with the same 25 wt.% of copper particles. It indicates that this novel porous composite not only can control its release of IDM, but also can control its release of cupric ions, its release properties can be regulated easily by controlling its amount of introduced porosity.