A Review of Nano/Micro/Milli Needles Fabrications for Biomedical Engineering

Abstract

Needles, as some of the most widely used medical devices, have been effectively applied in human disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Thin 1D needle can easily penetrate cells/organs by generating highly localized stress with their sharp tips to achieve bioliquid sampling, biosensing, drug delivery, surgery, and other such applications. In this review, we provide an overview of multiscale needle fabrication techniques and their biomedical applications. Needles are classified as nanoneedles, microneedles and millineedles based on the needle diameter, and their fabrication techniques are highlighted. Nanoneedles bridge the inside and outside of cells, achieving intracellular electrical recording, biochemical sensing, and drug delivery. Microneedles penetrate the stratum corneum layer to detect biomarkers/bioelectricity in interstitial fluid and deliver drugs through the skin into the human circulatory system. Millineedles, including puncture, syringe, acupuncture and suture needles, are presented. Finally, conclusions and future perspectives for next-generation nano/micro/milli needles are discussed.

Transdermal drug delivery system of lidocaine hydrochloride based on dissolving gelatin/sodium carboxymethylcellulose microneedles

“…Dissolving and hydrogel-forming MN with the "poke and release" approach are a novel method of TDDs in which drugs can be loaded and released when the MN dissolves after insertion (Liu et al 2022), also reducing onset time and improving permeability (Ma and Wu 2017; Yang et al 2020). In this study, a mixture of a polysaccharide (NaCMC) and a protein (GEL) was used to create a drug delivery carrier with microneedle morphology.…”

“…To overcome these limitations, an innovative microneedle (MN) approach aimed at developing safe and efficient means for delivering medications through the skin has attracted the attention of many scientists (Hao Y et al 2017;Kochhar et al 2016;Migdadi and Donnelly 2019;Ahmad et al 2020;Bonfante et al 2020;Liu et al 2022;Dugam et al 2021). DMNs penetrate the SC and dissolve in the interstitial tissue and release encapsulated drugs into the epidermal layer (He X et al 2019;Bonfante et al 2020;Ma and Wu 2017;Yang et al 2020;Lee et al 2020;Zhang et al 2021;Xing et al 2021).…”

“…The evolution of these MNs has led to more innovative designs (Vecchione R. et al 2014: Dugam et al 2021Vora et al 2022;Roy et al 2022;Shah and Choudhury 2017;Zhang et al 2021). Hydrogel-forming MN or swellable MN can be used as a method developed from the "poke and release" approach for drug delivery (Liu et al 2022;Dash et al 2013) due to their high water content, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and renewability (Bao et al 2019;Ge et al 2018). Among the local anesthetics, lidocaine is a frequently used medication for the treatment of chronic pain and acute (Zempsky WT 2008;Kochhar et al 2013;Gomes et al 2016;Houck and Sethna 2005;Martell et al 2017); lidocaine must get through a skin barrier to reach the nerve system in order to provide a local anesthetic (Gudin and Nalamachu 2020).…”

“…The low thermal and mechanical stability of GEL hydrogels has constrained their use in a variety of applications. However, by mixing GEL with other natural polymers such as NaCMC, and also using crosslinking agents such as glutaraldehyde (GTA), its thermal and mechanical stability can be improved (Khan and Anwar 2021;Liu et al 2022;Favatela et al 2021). GEL/NaCMC hydrogels can be modified according to the ratio of polymers and the amount of GTA for drug delivery under interstitial fluid conditions (pH = 5.5 and T = 37 °C).…”

Laser Cladding Strengthening Test on the Surface of Flatness Rollers

“…Flatness detection and control are the key technologies for producing high-quality cold-rolled strips. A flatness meter is the key equipment of a contact flatness detection system, among which the seamless flatness meter detection roller [5][6][7][8][9][10] (hereafter referred to as the detection roller) is the only integrated flatness meter roller thus far. The roller surface is a complete and seamless cylindrical surface, which avoids crushing and scratching the strip surface.…”