Contemporary Application of Roller Needle and Stamp Needle: A Patent Review

Abstract

Objectives : A dermal needle is one of the therapeutic method by stimulating or tapping on the certain points of skin. Recently, roller or stamp-needle have been applied to various diseases in combination with microneedle technology. In this study, we analyzed the trend of roller and stamp-needle in Korean patent. Methods : Electronic search for Korean patent of roller or stamp needle was performed in Korea Intellectual Property Right Information Service database to April, 2019. Results : Sixty seven patents (51, roller-needle; 15, stamp-needle; 1, both types of needle) met the inclusion criteria. According to patent details, 34 of 67 patents were skin stimulation, 14 patents were intended to increase the efficiency of drug delivery through skin stimulation, 16 patents combined skin stimulation with technologies such as electrode or high frequency, and three patents applied both electrode or high frequency stimulation, and drug application as well as physical skin stimulation. Each of these patents aims to increase the efficiency of the needle manufacturing process (n=24), to facilitate the use of tools or to increase the efficiency of the technology (n=61), or to increase the technical skill of the needle itself (n=23). Conclusions : This study confirms that technological advances were being made by combining various types of stimuli to dermal needle and there have been attempts to expand the scope of drug delivery in terms of application of dermal needle. In the future, more research and development is needed in order to apply the dermal needle to modern technology.

A Literature Review of the Microneedle Therapy System for Hair Loss

“…[3] In oriental medicine, it is equivalent to roller acupuncture needling therapy or chaacupuncture (車鍼) or plum-blossom acupuncture (梅花鍼). The method of stimulating shallow depths through the skin is similar to many acupuncture methods (半刺, 豹文刺 of 五刺法, 毛刺 of 九刺法, 揚刺 of 十二刺法) mentioned in the Huangdi Neijing (黃 帝內經) of oriental medicine [22]. This study reviewed the effect of the MTS on hair loss in animal, and clinical studies (regardless of nationality).…”