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MA Bin
GAN Zhiyin
Institute of Microsystems,
Huazhong University of Science
and Technology,
Wuhan 430074, China
LIU Sheng
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Wayne State University,
Detroit MI 48202, USA
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SILICON NEEDLE ARRAY ON FLEXIBLE
SUBSTRATE FOR
FLUID TRANSFER*
Abstract:
Transdermal delivery is an attractive alternative, but it is limited by the extremely low permeability of skin. To solve this problem, a novel means—micro needle array based on micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology, is provided to increase permeability of human skin with efficiency, safety and painless delivery. The fabrication method consists of a sequence of deep-reactive ion etching (DRIE), anisotropic wet etching and conformal thin film deposition. The novel technology can enable the realization of micro fabricated micro needle array on a flexible silicon substrate. The micro needle array can be mounted on non-planar surface or even on flexible objects such as a human fingers and arms. The fabricated hollow wall straight micro needles are 200 μm in length, 30 μm inner diameter, and 50 μm outer diameter with 250 μm center-to-center spacing. Flow rate test proves that the polymeric base construction is important to function of micro needles array in package. Glucose solvent tests show that surface tension is the dominant force to affect the characters of flow in micro needles channel.
Key words:
Micro needles array Drug delivery Flexibility Packaging Transdermal delivery |