3D printing of pharmaceuticals MCQs With Answer

3D Printing of Pharmaceuticals MCQs With Answer helps M. Pharm students master an evolving area of drug delivery where dosage forms are built layer-by-layer with precision. This quiz explores key technologies such as fused deposition modeling (FDM), binder jetting, stereolithography (SLA/DLP), selective laser sintering (SLS), and semi-solid extrusion. You will assess material selection (polymers, plasticizers, photopolymers), process parameters (infill, layer height, laser power, binder saturation), quality attributes (porosity, strength, dissolution), design workflows (CAD–STL–G-code), and regulatory/PAT considerations for personalized medicines. The questions are application-focused—linking process choices to performance, stability, and safety—to prepare you for research and practice in patient-centric, on-demand manufacturing of tablets, films, and implants.

Q1. Which was the first FDA-approved 3D-printed oral solid dosage form and by which technology was it manufactured?

• Spritam (levetiracetam), produced by binder jetting (ZipDose)
• Spritam (levetiracetam), produced by fused deposition modeling (FDM)
• Onpattro (patisiran), produced by inkjet printing
• Abilify MyCite (aripiprazole), produced by stereolithography (SLA)

Correct Answer: Spritam (levetiracetam), produced by binder jetting (ZipDose)

Q2. Which 3D printing method builds dosage forms by extruding a thermoplastic filament through a heated nozzle?

• Fused deposition modeling (FDM)
• Selective laser sintering (SLS)
• Stereolithography (SLA/DLP)
• Binder jetting

Correct Answer: Fused deposition modeling (FDM)

Q3. In FDM-printed tablets, what is the most likely effect of increasing infill density and shell thickness?

• Higher porosity and faster disintegration
• Lower porosity and slower dissolution
• No change in mechanical strength
• Lower friability and faster disintegration

Correct Answer: Lower porosity and slower dissolution

Q4. For inkjet printing of drug-loaded inks onto oral films, which approximate viscosity window is generally acceptable for stable jetting?

• 0.01–0.1 mPa·s
• 1–20 mPa·s
• 50–200 mPa·s
• 500–2000 mPa·s

Correct Answer: 1–20 mPa·s

Q5. Which polymer is most suitable as a base filament for FDM printing without extensive plasticization?

• Polylactic acid (PLA)
• Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)
• Gelatin
• Sodium alginate

Correct Answer: Polylactic acid (PLA)

Q6. What is the principal safety concern requiring stringent control in stereolithography (SLA/DLP)-printed pharmaceutical dosage forms?

• Metal contamination from nozzle wear
• Residual photoinitiators and unreacted monomers causing toxicity
• Electrostatic charging of powder leading to dose variation
• High moisture uptake during printing

Correct Answer: Residual photoinitiators and unreacted monomers causing toxicity

Q7. In binder jetting of tablets, which parameter most directly governs tablet strength and dose uniformity?

• Layer thickness
• Recoater speed
• Binder saturation (binder-to-powder ratio)
• Build plate temperature

Correct Answer: Binder saturation (binder-to-powder ratio)

Q8. Which design strategy best enables pulsatile or sequential drug release in a 3D-printed “polypill”?

• Using a single polymer with uniform infill
• Segregated compartments printed with polymers of different solubility/erosion rates
• Increasing overall shell thickness uniformly
• Printing at a higher nozzle temperature

Correct Answer: Segregated compartments printed with polymers of different solubility/erosion rates

Q9. Which 3D printing approach is most suitable for thermolabile drugs (e.g., peptides) to avoid thermal degradation?

• Fused deposition modeling (FDM)
• Selective laser sintering (SLS)
• Stereolithography (SLA/DLP)
• Semi-solid extrusion (paste-based) at ambient/low temperature

Correct Answer: Semi-solid extrusion (paste-based) at ambient/low temperature

Q10. Which sequence correctly matches key digital files from design to print in pharmaceutical 3D printing?

• CAD model → OBJ → STEP
• CAD model → STL → G-code
• CAD model → DICOM → NC code
• CAD model → PDF → G-code

Correct Answer: CAD model → STL → G-code

Q11. Which change is most likely to increase tensile strength of FDM-printed tablets?

• Increase layer height and use a single raster angle
• Decrease layer height and use alternating raster angles (e.g., 0/90°)
• Reduce nozzle temperature and decrease infill
• Increase print speed and reduce shell thickness

Correct Answer: Decrease layer height and use alternating raster angles (e.g., 0/90°)

Q12. Which process analytical technology (PAT) tool is most appropriate for non-destructive, rapid assessment of API content uniformity in 3D-printed tablets?

• Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)
• Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

Correct Answer: Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy

Q13. What is a primary manufacturing bottleneck when implementing on-demand personalized tablets in a hospital pharmacy using 3D printing?

• Lack of pharmacopeial monographs for common excipients
• Low throughput and long cycle time per unit
• Excessive heat generation in cleanrooms
• Inability to serialize individual doses

Correct Answer: Low throughput and long cycle time per unit

Q14. When designing an ODT by binder jetting for very rapid disintegration, which formulation/process choice is most appropriate?

• High binder saturation with microcrystalline cellulose only
• High-porosity matrix using mannitol plus a superdisintegrant (e.g., crospovidone) and lower binder saturation
• Low-porosity matrix with high lactose and no disintegrant
• Use of hydrophobic lubricants at high levels to enhance wetting

Correct Answer: High-porosity matrix using mannitol plus a superdisintegrant (e.g., crospovidone) and lower binder saturation

Q15. Which of the following is a critical quality attribute (CQA) directly linked to patient safety for 3D-printed tablets?

• Polygon count in the STL file
• Content uniformity
• Printer nozzle diameter
• Build plate size

Correct Answer: Content uniformity

Q16. To improve printability of Eudragit-based FDM filaments by lowering Tg and increasing flexibility, which plasticizer is commonly employed?

• Triethyl citrate
• Calcium stearate
• Colloidal silicon dioxide
• Sodium starch glycolate

Correct Answer: Triethyl citrate

Q17. In SLS printing of pharmaceutical tablets, which additive has been reported to facilitate laser absorption and improve sintering of powders?

• Titanium dioxide
• Microcrystalline cellulose
• Candurin gold shimmer (mica–TiO₂ pearlescent pigment)
• Talc

Correct Answer: Candurin gold shimmer (mica–TiO₂ pearlescent pigment)

Q18. Which approach is most compatible with achieving high drug loads (e.g., ≥50% w/w) in modified-release, matrix-type 3D-printed tablets?

• Material jetting of photopolymerizable drug monomers
• FDM using hot-melt-extruded, drug-loaded filaments
• Inkjet printing of dilute drug solutions onto inert substrates
• Binder jetting with very low powder bed porosity

Correct Answer: FDM using hot-melt-extruded, drug-loaded filaments

Q19. Which post-processing sequence is essential for SLA-printed pharmaceutical parts to minimize residual monomers?

• Thermal annealing only at 120°C
• Rinsing to remove uncured resin followed by UV post-curing
• Mechanical polishing followed by ethanol wipe
• Freeze-drying under vacuum

Correct Answer: Rinsing to remove uncured resin followed by UV post-curing

Q20. In drop-on-demand inkjet printing onto orodispersible films, which parameter is most practical to adjust for fine dose titration without changing film size?

• Nozzle diameter
• Number of printing passes (drop deposition density)
• Substrate thickness
• Drying oven temperature

Correct Answer: Number of printing passes (drop deposition density)

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