Single-Step Fabrication of Computationally Designed Microneedles by Continuous Liquid Interface Production.
Microneedles, arrays of micron-sized needles that painlessly puncture the skin, enable transdermal delivery of medications that are difficult to deliver using more traditional routes. Many important design parameters, such as microneedle size, shape, spacing, and composition, are known to influence efficacy, but are notoriously difficult to alter due to the complex nature of microfabrication techniques. Herein, we utilize a novel additive manufacturing ("3D printing") technique called Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP) to rapidly prototype sharp microneedles with tuneable geometries (size, shape, aspect ratio, spacing). This technology allows for mold-independent, one-step manufacturing of microneedle arrays of virtually any design in less than 10 minutes per patch. Square pyramidal CLIP microneedles composed of trimethylolpropane triacrylate, polyacrylic acid and photopolymerizable derivatives of polyethylene glycol and polycaprolactone were fabricated to demonstrate the range of materials that can be utilized within this platform for encapsulating and controlling the release of therapeutics. These CLIP microneedles effectively pierced murine skin ex vivo and released the fluorescent drug surrogate rhodamine.
Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Ashley R
AR
Johnson
Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27510, United States of America.
Cassie L
CL
Caudill
Carbon, Redwood City, California, United States of America.
John R
JR
Tumbleston
Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27510, United States of America.
Cameron J
CJ
Bloomquist
Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Katherine A
KA
Moga
Carbon, Redwood City, California, United States of America.
Alexander
A
Ermoshkin
Carbon, Redwood City, California, United States of America.
David
D
Shirvanyants
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Institute for Nanomedicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Sue J
SJ
Mecham
Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27510, United States of America.
J Christopher
JC
Luft
Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.|Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27510, United States of America.|Carbon, Redwood City, California, United States of America.|Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.|Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Institute for Nanomedicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.|Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
Joseph M
JM
DeSimone
D000179:Acrylates / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000494:pharmacology; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008845:Microinjections; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D012869:Skin Absorption / Q000187:drug effects
D000179:Acrylates; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; C027993:trimethylolpropane triacrylate