9402079 Brannon-Peppas This is a PHASE II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project. Biodegradable microparticles are being studied for use in a wide variety of drugs as a means to deliver the drug in the body in a controlled manner. A significant obstacle to the use of microparticles is their tendency to settle quickly in commonly used injection carrier materials such as saline. The settling makes it difficult to administer the entire injection volume of microparticles, and also the microparticles have a tendency to clump in the needle of the syringe, when injection becomes impossible. This Phase II investigation involves the development of technologies by which biodegradable microparticles containing drugs would be surface treated so they remain suspended in aqueous media for long periods. As a result of studies conducted in the Phase I investigation, the Phase II study will focus the direction of the surface treatment so as to produce the greatest results with the least pote
