Apparatus and method for manufacturing microneedles
First Claim
1. A method of forming an array of microneedle structures in a polymer material, comprising the steps of placing a polymeric material in a mold assembly comprising a mold form having a cavity therein with an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said cavity;
- forcing a fluid under pressure through said polymeric material thereby causing the polymeric material to assume the shape of the mold form cavity and continuing to force said fluid through the polymer until the fluid material exits from the outlet opening of said cavity, thereby forming a hollow channel through the polymer to define the microneedle structure formed in said cavity, wherein said mold assembly comprises upper and lower manifolds and a support sheet therebetween permitting the fluid under pressure to pass through the lower manifold to the upper manifold while supporting the mold form and polymeric material.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The apparatus comprises a mold assembly including at least one bore therethrough having a cavity therein defining the shape of the finished microneedle shape to be formed therein. The bore has an inlet opening and an exit opening. The apparatus also comprises means for locating the polymer to be formed at one end of the cavity and means for introducing fluid into the inlet opening of said bore and into the cavity. The apparatus also comprises exhaust means communicating with the exit opening of the bore, so that introducing the fluid through the polymer causes the polymer to assume the shape of the cavity and the fluid forms a hollow channel to define a needle-like structure in the polymer as the fluid is exhausted through the cavity and the bore.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A method of forming an array of microneedle structures in a polymer material, comprising the steps of placing a polymeric material in a mold assembly comprising a mold form having a cavity therein with an inlet opening and an outlet opening in said cavity;
- forcing a fluid under pressure through said polymeric material thereby causing the polymeric material to assume the shape of the mold form cavity and continuing to force said fluid through the polymer until the fluid material exits from the outlet opening of said cavity, thereby forming a hollow channel through the polymer to define the microneedle structure formed in said cavity, wherein said mold assembly comprises upper and lower manifolds and a support sheet therebetween permitting the fluid under pressure to pass through the lower manifold to the upper manifold while supporting the mold form and polymeric material.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
Specification