Aims: The objectives of the present studies were to predict the skin adhesion of different TTS, to predict the skin occlusion of adhesive films, to investigate the behaviour of adhesive films being in contact with water, and to develop a TTS with adjustable occlusion using textiles. Methods: The peel force, the tensile strength, the work of adhesion, and the skin adhesion of TTS based on clinical data were determined. The occlusion of adhesive films in vitro was determined by different methods in order to predict the occlusion in vivo measured by the transepidermal water loss method. The behaviour of adhesive films was investigated applying the environmental scanning electron microscopy. New TTS were characterised by drug loading capacity, tensile strength, water vapour permeability, and dissolution. Results: To predict the skin adhesion the calculation of the work of adhesion between the selected TTS and Vitro-Skin®, nude mouse skin as well as with substrates with skin-like surface tensions are suitable. It was not possible to predict the occlusion of films adhering to the skin applying in vitro methods. Changes of adhesive films being in contact with water were observed applying the electron microscopy. The development of TTS with adjustable occlusion was successful using both textile backing layers and textile drug reservoirs. Main advantage of the textile drug reservoir systems is their approximately 10 times higher drug loading capacity. |