MICRONEEDLE ARRAY WITH A CONTROLLABLE LOCKING FEATURE

Unmet Need: Easy fixation and removal of microneedle for drug delivery

Microneedle (MN) arrays are medical devices used to deliver drugs to the human body via bypassing the skin barrier, namely the stratum corneum. Given MNs’ small size, they provide a less painful and minimally invasive approach to delivering via the skin. One challenge for using MNs for drug delivery is the fixation and removal of the MN. Existing methods, such as using an adhesive backing, face issues including scarring and tissue damage, limited adhesion, and complicate the manufacturing and application process.

The Technology: A self-adhesive microneedle array and fabrication technique

This technology presents a new fabrication technique for a photo-responsive hydrogel microneedle array that can self-adhere to the application site upon swelling when in contact with moisture and can deswell for easy removal when illuminated with light.

Applications:

Medical applications including delivery of immunobiological, insulin, hormone, protein, or some other treatment drugs across various skin/tissue barriers.
Other applications include diagnosis of disease, cosmetic treatments.

Advantages:

Self-adhesion for sustained drug delivery.
Unique design that provides a significant decrease in extraction force of the microneedle.
A fabrication technique is easy, cost-effective, produces high-resolution microneedles, and can be geared for mass production.

Patent Information:

A provisional patent application has been filed.