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Rocket-shaped Microneedles
A scanning electron microscopy image of an array of rocket-shaped microneedles. The array was fabricated using two-photon polymerization. The small, cross-sectional area of this microneedle design serves to minimize the force necessary for skin penetration.
A research team, led by researchers from North Carolina State University, developed two new approaches for incorporating antimicrobial properties into microneedles--vanishingly thin needles that hold great promise for use in portable medical devices. Researchers expect the findings to spur development of new medical applications using microneedles.
This research award, titled "Two Photon Induced Polymerization of Microstructured Medical Devices," was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program (grant CMMI 05-47491). The objective of the project was to use two photon polymerization in order to create microstructured devices, including microneedles, for medical applications.
To learn more about this research, see the NC State news story New Microneedle Antimicrobial Techniques May Foster Medical Tech Innovation. (Date of Image: October 2009) [Image 2 of 3 related images. See Image 3.]
Credit: Roger J. Narayan, UNC/NCSU Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
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