Method of manufacturing microneedle structures using soft lithography and photolithography
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating microneedles, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a substrate that includes a plurality of microstructures;
(b) coating said substrate with a layer of a first moldable material that takes the negative form of said plurality of microstructures, and hardening said first moldable material;
(c) separating said hardened first moldable material from said substrate, thereby creating a micromold from said hardened first moldable material containing said plurality of microstructures; and
(d) applying a second moldable material onto said micromold, allowing said second moldable material to harden using a soft lithography procedure, then separating said hardened second moldable material from said micromold, thereby creating a microneedle structure from said hardened second moldable material having the three-dimensional negative form of said plurality of microstructures of the patterned micromold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for manufacturing microneedle structures is disclosed using soft lithography and photolithography, in which micromold structures made of a photoresist material or PDMS are created. The micromold manufacturing occurs quite quickly, using inexpensive materials and processes. Once the molds are available, using moldable materials such as polymers, microneedle arrays can be molded or embossed in relatively fast procedures. In some cases a sacrificial layer is provided between the forming micromold and its substrate layer, for ease of separation. The microneedles themselves can be solid projections, hollow “microtubes,” or shallow “microcups.” Electrodes can be formed on the microneedle arrays, including individual electrodes per hollow microtube.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating microneedles, said method comprising:
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(a) providing a substrate that includes a plurality of microstructures;
(b) coating said substrate with a layer of a first moldable material that takes the negative form of said plurality of microstructures, and hardening said first moldable material;
(c) separating said hardened first moldable material from said substrate, thereby creating a micromold from said hardened first moldable material containing said plurality of microstructures; and
(d) applying a second moldable material onto said micromold, allowing said second moldable material to harden using a soft lithography procedure, then separating said hardened second moldable material from said micromold, thereby creating a microneedle structure from said hardened second moldable material having the three-dimensional negative form of said plurality of microstructures of the patterned micromold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38)
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9. A method for fabricating microneedles, said method comprising:
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(a) providing a substrate material;
(b) coating said substrate material with at least one layer of a photoresist material, and patterning said photoresist material with a plurality of microstructures by use of a photolithography procedure; and
(c) separating said patterned photoresist material from said substrate material, thereby creating a microneedle structure from said patterned photoresist material containing said plurality of microstructures. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31)
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18. A method for fabricating microneedles, said method comprising:
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(a) providing a substrate material;
(b) coating said substrate material with at least one layer of a photoresist material, and patterning said photoresist material with a plurality of microstructures by use of a photolithography procedure; and
(c) coating said patterned photoresist material with a layer of moldable material that takes the negative form of said plurality of microstructures, and allowing said moldable material to harden using a soft lithography procedure, then separating said hardened moldable material from both said patterned photoresist material and said substrate material.
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23. A method for fabricating microneedles, said method comprising:
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(a) providing a substrate material;
(b) coating said substrate material with at least one layer of a photoresist material, and patterning said photoresist material with a plurality of microstructures by use of a photolithography procedure;
(c) applying a first moldable material onto said patterned photoresist material/substrate and allowing said first moldable material to harden using a soft lithography procedure, then separating said hardened first moldable material from said patterned photoresist material/substrate to thereby create a microstructure; and
(d) applying a second moldable material onto said microstructure, and after hardening of said second moldable material, separating said hardened second moldable material from said microstructure, thereby creating a microneedle structure from said hardened second moldable material having the three-dimensional negative form of said microstructure.
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28. A method for fabricating microneedles with electrodes, said method comprising:
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(a) providing a substrate material;
(b) coating said substrate material with at least one layer of a photoresist material, and patterning said photoresist material with a plurality of microstructures by use of a photolithography procedure, such that said patterned photoresist material comprises said plurality of microstructures;
(c) coating said substrate with a layer of moldable material that takes the negative form of said plurality of microstructures, and hardening said moldable material by a soft lithography procedure;
(d) separating said hardened moldable material from said substrate, thereby creating a mask;
(e) providing a microneedle array structure having a plurality of individual protrusions extending from a base; and
(f) positioning said mask proximal to said microneedle array structure and applying an electrically conductive substance through said mask onto a surface of said microneedle array structure, thereby creating at least one pattern of electrically conductive pathways on said surface.
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35. A microneedle structure, comprising:
- a longitudinal element having a first end and a second end, said longitudinal element having a side wall extending between said first end and said second end; and
said side wall having at least one external channel running between substantially said first end and said second end.
- a longitudinal element having a first end and a second end, said longitudinal element having a side wall extending between said first end and said second end; and
Specification