The current scenario of the quest for microneedles (MNs) with biodegradability and biocompatibility properties is a potential research area of interest. Microneedles are considered to be robust, can penetrate the skin’s deep-seated layers, and are easy to manufacture, and their applications from the clinical perspective are still ongoing with standard escalation. This review paper focuses on some of the pivotal variants of polymeric microneedles which are specifically dissolvable and swell-based MNs. It further explores the drug dissolution kinetics and insertion behavior mechanisms with an emphasis on the need for mathematical modeling of MNs. This review further evaluates the multifarious fabrication methods, with an update on the advances in the fabrication of polymeric MNs, the choice of materials used for the fabrication, the challenges in polymeric MN fabrication, and the prospects of polymeric MNs with applications pertinent to healthcare, by exclusively focusing on the procurable literature over the last decade.
Recently, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) cantilevers have received significant interest in the domain of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). An analysis of MEMS cantilevers in VOCs is presented in this Review. It examines the different forms of sensors used to detect VOCs. It goes into the conditions that influence MEMS and the strategies used for VOC sensing. It examines research on MEMS cantilevers and other VOC sensing and detection techniques. It shows how MEMS can be used to detect VOCs. Moreover, it presents a comparative study based on the objectives, types of sensors employed, merits, and shortcomings of existing works. This Review intends to explore MEMS cantilevers in VOCs for supporting further research and applications.
Transportation of drug through parental routes are conventionally followed through hypodermic injection methods, where hypodermic injections are administered into the human skin for drug release. However, there are some issues observed when these hypodermic needles are being used, there are instances where the needle is being inserted leaves some needle fractures in the skin. To cater to the issue scientific researchers are voraciously working on designing and developing polymeric type of microneedle structures for various medical diagnostic applications for glucose monitoring, drug delivery, and other applications. This article presents the structural design of a conicalshaped polymeric microneedle and the insertion force while being pierced into the skin. Simulations at different insertion angles on microneedle are analyzed by arriving with total needle displacements in the process of insertion. The von mises stress is also analyzed with applied force at different insertion angles resulted in incremental change in stress exerted by the microneedle. The resultant stress is below the yield stress which makes the microneedle pierce into the skin without breakage.
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