Controlled release from cylindrical microstructures

Microtubules formed from diacetylenic phosphatidyl-cholines can be made rugged and solvent resistant through electroless deposition of metals (Rudolph et al. 1990). Once dried tubules can capture a range of materials by capillary action when added to a hydrating medium, thus retaining and controlling the release rates of these materials. We report the encapsulation in tubules of a mixture of tetracycline, epoxy monomers and polymers and their in vitro release kinetics in both dynamic and static environments.