Invention Summary: Microneedles are gaining attention because of the minimally invasive, pain-free, and easy-to-use nature. However, a major challenge for controlled long-term drug delivery or biosensing using microneedles is the low tissue adhesion.
Rutgers researchers and collaborators have developed a method to fabricate microneedle array by a digital light processing 3D printing technique. Backward-facing curved barbs are created by desolvation-induced deformation utilizing cross-linking density gradient in a photocurable polymer. Barbs thickness and bending curvature are controllable through composition and printing parameters. Adhesion performance was shown to be multitudes higher than other reported natural and bioinspired microneedles for both nonfibrous and fibrous tissue models. The barbed microneedle array (2x2) continuously released RhoB in the chicken muscle tissue for 6h.
Advantages:
- Improved tissue adhesion
- Sustained drug release
Market Applications:
- Transdermal drug delivery
- Tissue wound healing
- Long-term in vivo drug delivery
- Biosensing
Intellectual Property & Development Status: Patent pending. Available for licensing and/or research collaboration.
Publication: Han et al. Advanced Functional Materials, 2020, vol. 3, 1909197. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adfm.201909197