Microneedle arrays for biosensing and drug delivery
First Claim
1. A device, comprising:
- an array of microneedles, wherein each microneedle comprises;
a protruded needle structure including an exterior wall circumscribing the protruded needle structure, a hollow interior defined by an interior wall, and an opening to the hollow interior at a terminal end of the protruded needle structure, andan electrically-conducting probe vertically oriented within the hollowed interior of the protruded needle structure and spaced away from the interior wall, wherein the electrically-conducting probe is configured to interact with one or more chemical or biological substances that come in contact with the probe via the opening to the hollow interior to produce a probe sensing signal,wherein the probe includes a conducting polymer on a surface of the probe,wherein the exterior wall comprises a non-conducting, non-detecting material; and
an array of electrically-conducting channels that are electrically coupled to the probes of the array of microneedles to transmit the probe sensing signal produced by a respective probe.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, structures, and systems are disclosed for biosensing and drug delivery techniques. In one aspect, a^ device for detecting an analyte and/or releasing a biochemical into a biological fluid can include an array of hollowed needles, in which each needle includes a protruded needle structure including an exterior wall forming a hollow interior and an opening at a terminal end of the protruded needle structure that exposes the hollow interior, and a probe inside the exterior wall to interact with one or more chemical or biological substances that come in contact with the probe via the opening to produce a probe sensing signal, and an array of wires that are coupled to probes of the array of hollowed needles, respectively, each wire being electrically conductive to transmit the probe sensing signal produced by a respective probe.
96 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A device, comprising:
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an array of microneedles, wherein each microneedle comprises; a protruded needle structure including an exterior wall circumscribing the protruded needle structure, a hollow interior defined by an interior wall, and an opening to the hollow interior at a terminal end of the protruded needle structure, and an electrically-conducting probe vertically oriented within the hollowed interior of the protruded needle structure and spaced away from the interior wall, wherein the electrically-conducting probe is configured to interact with one or more chemical or biological substances that come in contact with the probe via the opening to the hollow interior to produce a probe sensing signal, wherein the probe includes a conducting polymer on a surface of the probe, wherein the exterior wall comprises a non-conducting, non-detecting material; and an array of electrically-conducting channels that are electrically coupled to the probes of the array of microneedles to transmit the probe sensing signal produced by a respective probe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A device, comprising:
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a substrate that includes a microneedle located on one side of the substrate, wherein the microneedle includes a hollowed interior defined by an interior wall, and an external wall with an opening to the hollowed interior; an electrode including a probe, wherein the probe is disposed inside the hollowed interior and spaced away from the interior wall; wherein the probe includes a conducting polymer on a surface of the probe; wherein the external wall comprises a non-conducting, non-detecting material; and a wire, wherein the wire is electrically connected to the probe, wherein the electrode is functionalized by the conducting polymer to interact with an analyte to produce an electrical signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method to sense an analyte and deliver a therapeutic agent, comprising:
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detecting a signal produced by an analyte at an interface with a chemically functionalized probe configured to electrochemically interact with the analyte within a biological fluid, wherein the signal is transduced to an electrical signal by the chemically functionalized probe, wherein the chemically functionalized probe includes a conducting polymer at the interface, and wherein the probe is contained within a hollow interior of a protruded needle structure circumscribed by an exterior wall comprising a non-conducting, non-detecting material, the probe vertically oriented and spaced away from an interior wall within the hollow interior of the protruded needle structure; processing the electrical signal to determine a parameter of the analyte; and based on the determined parameter, applying an electrical stimulus to a valve comprising a porous polymer film having pores of a reversibly tunable porosity, the valve attached to a container containing a therapeutic agent, wherein the electrical stimulus alters the permeability of the pores from a closed state to an open state, thereby releasing the therapeutic agent into the biological fluid. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A device, comprising:
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a substrate that includes a plurality of microneedles located on one side of the substrate, wherein each of the microneedles includes a protruded needle structure including an exterior wall circumscribing the protruded needle structure, and a hollow interior defined by an interior wall, wherein the exterior wall comprises a non-conducting, non-detecting material; a biosensor module, comprising; a plurality of sensing electrodes disposed inside the hollowed interiors of a first group of the plurality of microneedles, wherein each sensing electrode is vertically oriented within the hollow interior of the protruded needle structure and spaced away from the interior wall, the sensing electrodes including a probe configured to interact with an analyte within a fluid to produce an electrical signal, wherein the probe includes a conducting polymer on a surface of the probe, and a plurality of wires, wherein one wire of the plurality of wires is electrically connected to the probe of the sensing electrodes; a processing unit in communication with the plurality of wires to receive the electrical signal and use the received electrical signal as data; and an actuator module, comprising; a polymer film having pores of a reversibly tunable porosity, wherein the polymer film is attached to an opposite side of the substrate, a plurality of protrusion structures disposed inside the hollowed interiors of a second group of the plurality of microneedles, the protrusion structures including a channel between an opening in the substrate exposing the polymer film and an opening at a terminal end of the protrusion structure, a containment structure that contains a chemical substance positioned above the polymer film, wherein the containment structure includes one or more openings coupled to the polymer film positioned above the protrusion structures, and an actuator electrode attached to the polymer film, wherein the actuator electrode provides an electrical stimulus to trigger an expansion of the pores of the polymer film to an open state or a contraction the pores of the polymer film to a closed state, wherein the processing unit is in communication with the actuator electrode to generate the electrical stimulus based on the data. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification