An overview of microneedle applications, materials, and fabrication methods

Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology

article

Zahra Faraji Rad¹  Philip D. Prewett²  Graham J. Davies⁴ 

[1] School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Central;Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham;Oxacus Ltd;Faculty of Engineering;College of Engineering & Physical Sciences, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham

关键词: drug delivery;    microelectromechanical systems (MEMS);    microfabrication;    microneedles;    point-of-care diagnostics;   

DOI  :  10.3762/bjnano.12.77

学科分类：环境监测和分析

来源: Beilstein - Institut zur Foerderung der Chemischen Wissenschaften

【 摘 要 】

Microneedle-based microdevices promise to expand the scope for delivery of vaccines and therapeutic agents through the skin andwithdrawing biofluids for point-of-care diagnostics – so-called theranostics. Unskilled and painless applications of microneedlepatches for blood collection or drug delivery are two of the advantages of microneedle arrays over hypodermic needles. Developing the necessary microneedle fabrication processes has the potential to dramatically impact the health care delivery system bychanging the landscape of fluid sampling and subcutaneous drug delivery. Microneedle designs which range from sub-micron tomillimetre feature sizes are fabricated using the tools of the microelectronics industry from metals, silicon, and polymers. Varioustypes of subtractive and additive manufacturing processes have been used to manufacture microneedles, but the development ofmicroneedle-based systems using conventional subtractive methods has been constrained by the limitations and high cost of microfabrication technology. Additive manufacturing processes such as 3D printing and two-photon polymerization fabrication are promising transformative technologies developed in recent years. The present article provides an overview of microneedle systems applications, designs, material selection, and manufacturing methods.

【 授权许可】

CC BY