Drug loaded biodegradable polymer microneedles fabricated by hot embossing

作者：Andersen Thor Emil; Andersen Alina Joukainen; Petersen Ritika Singh; Nielsen Line Hagner; Keller Stephan Sylvest^*

来源：Microelectronic Engineering, 2018, 195: 57-61.

DOI：10.1016/j.mee.2018.03.024

• Microneedles
• Transdermal
• Drug delivery
• Hot embossing
• Poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL)

This study demonstrates a fast low temperature method for fabrication of drug loaded polymer microneedles (MNs). First, arrays of tapered pillar MNs with a length of 275 +/- 3 mu m (mean +/- SD) and a diameter of 84 +/- 1 mu m were fabricated in Si with a three-step deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process. The Si MNs were used as a template for fabrication of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamps. The stamps were applied for replication of the MNs in spin coated poly-e-caprolactone (PCL) films by hot embossing at 60 degrees C and a pressure of 1.4 MPa for 3 min. The resulting PCL MNs perfectly resembled the Si MNs and had a length of 270 +/- 5 mu m and a diameter of 84 +/- 3 mu m. The MNs had sufficient mechanical strength to penetrate the surface of a 10 w/w% gelatine gel without deformation. Finally, PCL MNs containing 20 w/w% of furosemide were fabricated and drug release by diffusion was demonstrated.

• 出版日期2018-8-5