Patent ID: 7875290

Claim:
A three-dimensional printing method of manufacturing a pharmaceutical delivery device comprising: a three-dimensionally printed core region comprising at least one pharmaceutical active printed onto and bound to a solid bulk material; a three-dimensionally printed shell region encapsulating the core region and comprising bound solid bulk material; and a transitional region consisting essentially of unbound or partially bound solid bulk material not printed upon, wherein the transitional region is trapped between the core region and the shell region; and the solid bulk material has the same composition in each region; the method comprising: a) providing a layer of the solid bulk material; b) dispensing a first fluid onto the layer of solid bulk material to form a first end of the shell region, and optionally repeating a) and b); c) providing another layer of solid bulk material; d) dispensing the first fluid onto selected portions of the layer in c) to form portions of the wall of the shell region and a first end of the transitional region, wherein the transitional region consists essentially of trapped unbound or trapped partially bound powder not printed upon; and optionally repeating c) and d); e) providing another layer of solid bulk material; f) dispensing a second fluid containing a pharmaceutical active onto predetermined locations of the layer in e) thereby forming one or more portions of the core region surrounded by portions of the transitional region, and dispensing the first fluid onto predetermined locations of the powder layer in e) thereby forming portions of the wall of the shell region; and optionally repeating e) and f), wherein the transitional region consists essentially of trapped unbound or trapped partially bound powder not printed upon; g) providing another layer of solid bulk material; h) dispensing the first fluid onto selected portions of the layer in g) to form portions of the wall of the shell region and a second end of the transitional region; and optionally repeating g) and h), wherein the transitional region consists essentially of trapped unbound or trapped partially bound powder not printed upon; i) providing a layer of the solid bulk material; j) dispensing the first fluid onto the layer of solid bulk material to form a second end of the shell region, and optionally repeating i) and j); thereby forming the three-dimensionally printed dosage form.