Bioinspired microneedle patches: Biomimetic designs, fabrication, and biomedical applications

Abstract

Nature contains abundant systems that can significantly alter their structures and properties to adapt to the surrounding environment. Through natural selection and unceasing evolution, hierarchical architectures and sophisticated strategies have been created by nature to achieve optimally adapted materials for biomedical applications. The development of microneedles has advanced to the next generation of bioinspired microneedles, with the goal of improving functions such as amelioration of mechanical properties and tissue adhesion. The biomimetic designs and structures of microneedles are highlighted in the present review. This is followed by an in-depth discussion of the fabrication approaches from molding techniques to 3D and 4D printing. The medical applications of bioinspired microneedles, including drug delivery, regenerative medicine, biopsy sampling and biosensing, are also discussed. Lastly, future opportunities and challenges with respect to clinical translation are also deliberated.

Bioinspired Robust Mechanical Properties for Advanced Materials

“…With the increasing focus on public health and people's wellbeing, advanced microneedles that combine multifunction of easy penetration, improved skin adhesion, painless and rapid healing insertion, sufficient drug containing and delivering, and high rigidity and toughness for safe operation, more and more reports on bioinspired microneedles appeared by learning from the sharp insect stingers, viper fangs, mosquito proboscis, etc. [119,120] It is clear that the natural sharpness and rigidity provide us with plenty of opportunities for engineering innovations and clinical translation.…”

Bioinspired Robust Mechanical Properties for Advanced Materials

“…With the increasing focus on public health and people's well‐being, advanced microneedles that combine multifunction of easy penetration, improved skin adhesion, painless and rapid healing insertion, sufficient drug containing and delivering, and high rigidity and toughness for safe operation, more and more reports on bioinspired microneedles appeared by learning from the sharp insect stingers, viper fangs, mosquito proboscis, etc. [ 119,120 ] It is clear that the natural sharpness and rigidity provide us with plenty of opportunities for engineering innovations and clinical translation.…”

High-Performance Flexible Microneedle Array as a Low-Impedance Surface Biopotential Dry Electrode for Wearable Electrophysiological Recording and Polysomnography

“…Microneedle arrays (MNAs) have demonstrated excellent performance in bioelectrode, neural interface, drug delivery, electroosmotic, and biochemical sensing applications [ 11 – 24 ]. Researchers have proposed diverse MNA devices with different heights, angles, sharpness, and densities [ 13 ].…”

“…Researchers have proposed diverse MNA devices with different heights, angles, sharpness, and densities [ 13 ]. Special microneedle structures inspired by nature, such as of eagle claws, snake fangs, honeybees stingers, and mosquito proboscises, have been designed to achieve more efficient skin fitness, tissue adhesion, and special functionalities, such as healing promotion and painless blood collection [ 24 ]. MNAs as dry electrodes for surface biopotential recording can realize low-impedance contact, as the spiky tips are able to penetrate SC [ 6 , 13 , 25 – 27 ].…”