Flexible and Stretchable Microneedle Patches with Integrated Rigid Stainless Steel Microneedles for Transdermal Biointerfacing

PLoS One. 2016 Dec 9;11(12):e0166330. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166330. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

This paper demonstrates flexible and stretchable microneedle patches that combine soft and flexible base substrates with hard and sharp stainless steel microneedles. An elastomeric polymer base enables conformal contact between the microneedle patch and the complex topography and texture of the underlying skin, while robust and sharp stainless steel microneedles reliably pierce the outer layers of the skin. The flexible microneedle patches have been realized by magnetically assembling short stainless steel microneedles into a flexible polymer supporting base. In our experimental investigation, the microneedle patches were applied to human skin and an excellent adaptation of the patch to the wrinkles and deformations of the skin was verified, while at the same time the microneedles reliably penetrate the surface of the skin. The unobtrusive flexible and stretchable microneedle patches have great potential for transdermal biointerfacing in a variety of emerging applications such as transdermal drug delivery, bioelectric treatments and wearable bio-electronics for health and fitness monitoring.

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Cutaneous
  • Adult
  • Drug Delivery Systems / instrumentation*
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods
  • Elastic Modulus
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mechanical Phenomena
  • Microinjections / instrumentation
  • Microinjections / methods
  • Needles*
  • Polymers / metabolism
  • Skin / metabolism
  • Stainless Steel*
  • Surface Properties
  • Transdermal Patch*

Substances

  • Polymers
  • Stainless Steel

Grants and funding

The authors are grateful to European Research Council (ERC) for the grant agreements No. 277879 M&M’s and No. 267528 xMEMS. Novo Nordisk A/S is gratefully acknowledged for kindly providing stainless steel needles.