Since the first consumer 3D printer came out, we’ve seen numerous attempts to apply the same technology to create non-plastic objects, such as this food printer, this plush doll printer, and this custom makeup printer. And we expect this to continue as you have the opportunity to make your own products on a small scale at home. The DoseRX1 doser, for example, is a 3D printer designed to bring drug manufacturing directly to your local pharmacy.
That’s right, they’ve developed a pharmaceutical 3D printer that allows pharmacies to produce their own medications to fill prescriptions instead of having to wait for a new batch to be shipped. How useful will this be? We’re not entirely sure, but if you’ve ever visited a pharmacy and learned that your medications are out of stock, we can imagine that such technology could be really useful.
The DoseRX1 Doser is a desktop device similar to current consumer manufacturing devices on the market. You have a touchscreen display for input and a construction area inside where, according to the company, up to 100 tablets can be produced per hour. Yes, it takes a while to print. So chances are you’ll order your prescription and come back a few hours later to pick it up. According to the company, the device can be used to produce around 80 percent of all medications currently available on the market.
So how does it work? It comes with a stainless steel cartridge into which pharmacists can add the necessary ingredients for each medication. Once full, they insert the cartridge into the device, which immediately preheats it to properly combine the ingredients and then adjusts the temperature to the temperature required to produce the medication. From there, you enter the required dosage and number of tablets required using the touchscreen. The device then takes over and extrudes each tablet until the order is fulfilled.
The DoseRX1 doser is said to comply with all GMP environmental standards, ensuring that it produces consistent and controlled medications without contamination. The fact that semi-solid materials are extruded with the tablets as the end product means that minimal powder substances remain in the construction area. They also use gently curved plates for the print bed, which is also removable so you can easily switch to another when cleaning or making a different medication.
Obviously, this machine is not intended for a consumer audience. Instead, it is likely aimed at pharmacies, hospitals and medical professionals who will be able to provide urgently needed medication to their patients. This could be particularly helpful for rare medications that many pharmacies do not stock, as they can easily keep the raw materials on hand and print out a batch of the medication when needed. Hopefully it can also lead to lower drug prices, which many people will probably appreciate.
The DoseRX1 doser is scheduled to be exhibited at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. You can find out more about this via the link below.