Fabrication methods of agarose microneedle and its applications

Abstract

Microneedle is an intradermal device that has been recently more focused upon, since microneedle could minimize pain and allow easy administration in comparison to the conventional needle in clinical applications. Despite these advantages, metal microneedles still share the same issues as other types of metal needles that are causing infections due to the reuse of needles and injuries inflicted by the sharp waste. Thus, a new strategy is needed to address to these issues.

In this report, new methods of fabricating microneedles would be devised to reduce the complexity of the typical fabrication techniques, such as requirement of expensive photolithographic systems and vacuum systems. As previous literatures have already demonstrated the capabilities of microneedles in drug delivery and bodily fluid sampling, this report also aims to show the feasibility of intradermal probing by using agarose microneedles, which avoid reuse and creation of sharp waste, in a skin mimicking phantom. Lastly, a fabrication process is developed to make an adaptor for the microneedle to be fitted to commercially used syringe, enabling the microneedle to be used in clinical applications.