FiBar: A New Tool for Fiber Diameter Analysis in Drug Delivery Research

This summer, Marilin Moor, Product Manager of ELIXIR Estonia and now a PhD student at the University of Tartu, published a new article presenting FiBar, a tool for analysing fiber diameters in complex drug delivery systems. The research was carried out in collaboration with the Institute of Pharmacy (Laura Männaste, Marta Putrinš and Professor Karin Kogermann) and Dmytro Fishman, Associate Professor in Artificial Intelligence at the Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu.

FiBar was developed to make the analysis of nano- and micro-fiber diameters faster, easier, and more accurate. Fiber-based materials are increasingly used in modern drug delivery systems, but their properties depend heavily on fiber diameter. Even small differences in size can affect how drugs are released, how well materials integrate with tissues, and how stable they remain over time. Traditionally, measuring fiber diameters from scanning electron microscopy images has been slow and labour-intensive. FiBar offers researchers a straightforward and efficient way to collect and refine measurement data with minimal effort.

While tools such as SIMPoly or ImageJ/FIJI plugins (e.g. DiameterJ, GIFT) have been used for this purpose, they often lack accessibility and flexibility. None provides a seamless, browser-based experience or robust handling of measurement errors. FiBar was designed with user-friendliness in mind, reducing setup time and complexity while also incorporating advanced features to correct erroneous measurements. By combining classical approaches with artificial intelligence, FiBar makes it easy to measure, edit, and collect fiber diameters, supporting the reliable characterisation of drug delivery systems and other biomaterials. Created by a multidisciplinary team at the University of Tartu, FiBar reflects the combined expertise of pharmacy, computer science, and data analysis specialists. Their collaboration resulted in a solution tailored to the specific needs of pharmaceutical research.

FiBar is freely accessible online for both academic and industry use. With its ability to provide rapid and editable results, the tool is expected to improve the standardisation of fiber analysis and contribute to the development of safer and more effective drug delivery systems.