Patterned surfaces with the controllable drug doses using inkjet printing

A mixture of microflora, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans, is found in burns and traumatic wounds. In this study, piezoelectric inkjet printing was used to apply an antifungal agent, amphotericin B, and an antibacterial agent, azithromycin, to the surfaces of gauze, silicon, and aluminum. The in vitro disk diffusion assay was performed on the unmodified, dimethyl sulfoxide vehicle-modified, azithromycin-modified, and amphotericin B-modified surfaces. Unlike the unmodified and dimethyl sulfoxide vehicle-modified surfaces, the amphotericin B-modified surfaces showed antifungal activity against C. albicans; the azithromycin-modified surfaces showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and P. aeruginosa. The dimethyl sulfoxide vehicle-modified surface did not show activity against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, or C. albicans. The results indicate that piezoelectric inkjet printing may be useful for loading gauze with both antibacterial and antifungal pharmacologic agents with poor solubility in aqueous solutions for the treatment of mixed wounds. Disk diffusion assay from the inkjet printing-modified surfaces as determined using Staphylococcus aureus.