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Microspheres can be used as a means drug delivery through either oral or injectable administration, and have been tested in a variety of treatments, including
Microspheres can be used as a means drug delivery through either oral or injectable administration, and have been tested in a variety of treatments, including multiple forms of cancer. Because these microspheres can be designed to degrade over time, they can provide a means of targeting specific areas of the body with a therapedic dose of drug for a prolonged period of time. Scientists are researching a new anti-tumor medication that needs to be provided at a localized high dose for at least 8 minutes to cause significant cell death at the tumor site. Due to the expense of the drug, targeted delivery through the use of a carrier microsphere via direct injection to the tumor site is desired. One potential material they are examining, "Material A". has a density of 0.96g/ml, with a diffusion coefficient of 107cm2/s in plasma, and a partition coefficient (solubility) of 0.001 in plasma. If the microsphere has a diameter of 10m, and is suspended in blood plasma with a velocity of 100m/s, what is the rate at which Material A is removed from the microsphere to the flowing plasma (thus exposing the area in question to the therapeudic drug, which is trapped inside the microsphere)? Estimate the time required for the microsphere to completely dissolve. Assume the kinematic viscosity of plasma to be 102cm2/s and that the plasma concentration of Material A remains at 0g/ml. Assume the rate at the beginning of the disappearance of the sphere (e.g. the surface area based on the original diameter) remains constant throughour the microsphere's dissolution)
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