A review on the methods of characterization of multicomponent microcapsules. Requirements to measure the ingress and egress of small and macromols. through the membrane are discussed, along with the relevant theory. The relevant factors to consider in microcapsule design are presented, together with a brief overview of recent techniques for micromech. characterization. The selected methods of the exptl. detn. of mass transport properties, as applied to microcapsules, are summarized. Examples of mass transport characteristics of materials used in cell encapsulation are given. [on SciFinder (R)]