In this work, a mathematical model to describe drug delivery from polymer coatings on implants is proposed. Release predictability is useful for development and understanding of drug release mechanisms from controlled delivery systems. The proposed model considers a unidirectional recursive diffusion process which follows Fick’s second law while considering the convective phenomena from the polymer matrix to the liquid where the drug is delivered and the polymer–liquid drug distribution equilibrium. The resulting model is solved using Laplace transformation for two scenarios: (1) a constant initial condition for a single drug delivery experiment; and (2) a recursive delivery process where the liquid medium is replaced with fresh liquid after a fixed period of time, causing a stepped delivery rate. Finally, the proposed model is validated with experimental data.

Breast cancer ranks among the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide and bears the highest mortality rate. As an integral component of cancer treatment, mastectomy entails the complete removal of the affected breast. Typically, breast reconstruction, involving the use of silicone implants (augmentation mammaplasty), is employed to address the aftermath of mastectomy. To mitigate postoperative risks associated with mammaplasty, such as capsular contracture or bacterial infections, the functionalization of breast implants with coatings of cyclodextrin polymers as drug delivery systems represents an excellent alternative. In this context, our work focuses on the application of a mathematical model for simulating drug release from breast implants coated with cyclodextrin polymers. The proposed model considers a unidirectional diffusion process following Fick’s second law, which was solved using the orthogonal collocation method, a numerical technique employed to approximate solutions for ordinary and partial differential equations. We conducted simulations to obtain release profiles for three therapeutic molecules: pirfenidone, used for preventing capsular contracture; rose Bengal, an anticancer agent; and the antimicrobial peptide KR-12. Furthermore, we calculated the diffusion profiles of these drugs through the cyclodextrin polymers, determining parameters related to diffusivity, solute solid–liquid partition coefficients, and the Sherwood number. Finally, integrating these parameters in COMSOL multiphysics simulations, the unidirectional diffusion mathematical model was validated.