학술논문
A Novel Method for Monolithic Fabrication of Polymer Microneedles on a Platform for Transdermal Drug Delivery
Document Type
Conference
Source
2013 35th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC) Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 2013 35th Annual International Conference of the IEEE. :156-159 Jul, 2013
Subject
Language
ISSN
1094-687X
1558-4615
1558-4615
Abstract
This paper reports on the creation of a novel method for monolithic fabrication of out-of-plane polymer (SU-8) microneedles incorporating sharpness of needle-tips, hollowness of needle lumen as well as a platform on which the microneedles stand orthogonally with the hollow of the needle lumen continuous through the platform. In essence, both the microneedle as well as the platform on which it stands, are made of the same polymer material, rendering the process monolithic. The microneedle tips produced were quite sharp with tip diameters ranging between 5 to 10 µm, needle heights greater than 1 mm and resulting aspect ratio of 40. Further, mechanical tests performed on the fabricated microneedles demonstrate a critical compressive failure load of about 173 mN on average per microneedle, which translates into a safety factor greater than one for skin penetration.