Article

Limpet Tooth‐Inspired Painless Microneedles Fabricated by Magnetic Field‐Assisted 3D Printing

Xiangjia LiDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering School for Engineering of Matter Transport and Energy Arizona State University 501 E. Tyler Mall Tempe AZ 85287 USAWeitong ShanMork Family Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Viterbi School of Engineering University of Southern California 925 Bloom Walk Los Angeles CA 90089 USAYang YangDepartment of Mechanical Engineering San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego CA 92182 USADylan JoralmonDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering School for Engineering of Matter Transport and Energy Arizona State University 501 E. Tyler Mall Tempe AZ 85287 USAYizhen ZhuDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering School for Engineering of Matter Transport and Energy Arizona State University 501 E. Tyler Mall Tempe AZ 85287 USAYiyu ChenDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Viterbi School of Engineering University of Southern California 3650 McClintock Ave Los Angeles CA 90089 USAYuan YuanCenter for Craniofacial Molecular Biology University of Southern California 2250 Alcazar St Los Angeles CA 90089 USAHan XuEpstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering University of Southern California 3715 McClintock Ave Los Angeles CA 90089 USAJiahui RongDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Viterbi School of Engineering University of Southern California 3650 McClintock Ave Los Angeles CA 90089 USARui DaiDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering School for Engineering of Matter Transport and Energy Arizona State University 501 E. Tyler Mall Tempe AZ 85287 USAQiong NianDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering School for Engineering of Matter Transport and Energy Arizona State University 501 E. Tyler Mall Tempe AZ 85287 USAYang ChaiCenter for Craniofacial Molecular Biology University of Southern California 2250 Alcazar St Los Angeles CA 90089 USAYong ChenDepartment of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Viterbi School of Engineering University of Southern California 3650 McClintock Ave Los Angeles CA 90089 USA

2020en

ABI

Abstract

Abstract Microneedle arrays show many advantages in drug delivery applications due to their convenience and reduced risk of infection. Compared to other microscale manufacturing methods, 3D printing easily overcomes challenges in the fabrication of microneedles with complex geometric shapes and multifunctional performance. However, due to material characteristics and limitations on printing capability, there are still bottlenecks to overcome for 3D printed microneedles to achieve the mechanical performance needed for various clinical applications. The hierarchical structures in limpet teeth, which are extraordinarily strong, result from aligned fibers of mineralized tissue and protein‐based polymer reinforced frameworks. These structures provide design inspiration for mechanically reinforced biomedical microneedles. Here, a bioinspired microneedle array is fabricated using magnetic field‐assisted 3D printing (MF‐3DP). Micro‐bundles of aligned iron oxide nanoparticles (aIOs) are encapsulated by polymer matrix during the printing process. A bioinspired 3D‐printed painless microneedle array is fabricated, and suitability of this microneedle patch for drug delivery during long‐term wear is demonstrated. The results reported here provide insights into how the geometrical morphology of microneedles can be optimized for the painless drug delivery in clinical trials.

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202003725

Citations and references

Cited by 30 references

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