title: Laser-induced microjet injection into preablated skin for more effective transdermal drug delivery.
abstract: A breakthrough in the efficient transdermal delivery of drug via the laser-driven microjet is reported. A single source of laser beam is split into two: one beam ablates a targeted spot on a skin and another beam drives the injector for fast microjet ejection into a preablated spot. This combined ablation and microjet injection scheme using a beam splitter utilizes laser energy sharing between generation of the microhole via ablation and the microjet which is generated using the Er:YAG laser beam at a 2940-nm wavelength and pulse duration. A careful analysis of the injection mechanism is carried out by studying the response of the elastic membrane that separates a driving water unit for bubble expansion from a drug unit for a microjet ejection. The efficiency of the present delivery scheme is evaluated by the abdominal porcine skin test using the fluorescein isothiocyanate staining and the confocal microscopy for quantitative delivery confirmation. The depth of penetration and the injected volume of the drug are also confirmed by polyacrylamide gel tests.
authors.affiliation: Seoul National University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, 1 Gwanakro, Gwanakgu, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hun-Jae
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: LG Household & Health Care R&D Center, 84 Jang-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hur
authors.affiliation: LG Household & Health Care R&D Center, 84 Jang-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yoonkwan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: LG Household & Health Care R&D Center, 84 Jang-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seol-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: LG Household & Health Care R&D Center, 84 Jang-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Nae G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Seoul National University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, 1 Gwanakro, Gwanakgu, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jack J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yoh
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000818:Animals; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D007834:Lasers; D008845:Microinjections / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate