Epidermal Tattoo Patch for Ultrasound‐Based Transdermal Microballistic Delivery

Abstract

patch technology has led to significant surge in first-generation transdermal patches. [19][20][21][22] The marriage between effective needle-free delivery platforms and wearable devices could thus prove highly desirable. However, achieving the desired therapeutic or detoxification effect requires further attention to the low permeability of the human skin.Herein, we present a flexible epidermal tattoo patch, containing thousands of microcannons, for efficient ultrasoundtriggered microballistic transdermal cargo delivery. The new conformal patch consists of a commercial temporary transfer tattoo paper combined with a microporous membrane whose micropores are fully loaded with the desired payload mixed with a perfluorocarbon emulsion (Figure 1). Application of a high intensity focused ultrasound pulse vaporizes the perfluorocarbon emulsion, resulting in the rapid ejection of the payload. This microballistic capability is exploited in the present work to create skin-worn flexible tattoo capable of the high thrust toward penetrating soft adherent surfaces. We demonstrate the ability of this flexible porousmembrane tattoo microballistic delivery patch to conform to the nonplanar irregular surface of the skin and withstand a variety of repeated mechanical strains experienced during day-to-day activities. Furthermore, we characterize this tattoo patch's cargo loading and scalability through volume calculations and its drug delivery effectiveness through penetration depth tests. Finally, using skin-mimicking phantoms, because of its transparent nature compared to opaque skin, we demonstrate the practical utility and enhanced permeation capability of the new epidermal tattoo patch for delivering cerium-oxide (CeO 2 ) microparticles for improved decontamination of an organophosphorus nerve agent in a phantom skin model and toward the enhanced delivery of the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (in comparison to passive diffusion). These results demonstrate that this flexible and conformal tattoo-based patch acoustic microballistic delivery platform could pave the way for new efficient noninvasive treatments toward overcoming permeability barriers in connection to diverse biomedical and biodefense applications.

Rotibot: Use of Rotifers as Self‐Propelling Biohybrid Microcleaners

“…Figure Ai displays a schematic of the OPH‐modified microbead attached to the rotibot. Electrochemical square‐wave voltammetry (SWV) technique was used to measure the nitro‐phenolic byproduct of the OPH enzyme hydrolyzation of methyl paraoxon . The voltammograms in Figure Aii represent different incubation conditions with a methyl paraoxon solution, including a) negative control, b) bare rotifers, c) static OPH–microbeads, and (d) OPH‐modified rotibots.…”

Colloids, nanoparticles, and materials for imaging, delivery, ablation, and theranostics by focused ultrasound (FUS)

“…Wang and coworkers, on the other hand, have used membranes with 12 µm conical pores and they loaded these pores with silica particles and phase-change droplets 225. They showed that vaporization of phase-change droplets using FUS fired the silica nanoparticles from these “microcannons,” which could be useful for transdermal delivery (Figure 14) 226. Later they also used this strategy for transdermal delivery of an anesthetic agent lidocaine 227.…”

“…C) Schematic showing drug delivery by vaporization of fluorocarbon droplets. Adapted from reference 226 copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH.…”

Noninvasive Transdermal Delivery System of Lidocaine Using an Acoustic Droplet‐Vaporization Based Wearable Patch

“…Moreover, unlike microneedle delivery devices that require to pierce the skin interface, our system achieves enhanced drug permeability through a nonpenetrative highly localized stress force produced by the ADV mechanism and suggests a potential nonimmunogenic method of delivery. The ability of ADV to deliver large microparticles from microporous membranes has been demonstrated earlier toward enhanced decontamination processes. Finally, we demonstrate the preclinical utility of the wearable patch through enhanced delivery and penetration of lidocaine in ex‐vivo pigskin model (a model that simulates human skin), as well as achieving high delivery efficacy at significantly shorter periods of time.…”

“…The ultrasound-triggered vaporization of the PFC compound [38][39][40][41] provides the necessary force to enhance significantly skin penetration and delivery of drug payloads when compared to common systems based solely on passive diffusion or ultrasound pulses.Moreover, unlike microneedle delivery devices that require to pierce the skin interface, our system achieves enhanced drug permeability through a nonpenetrative highly localized stress force produced by the ADV mechanism and suggests a potential nonimmunogenic method of delivery. The ability of ADV to deliver large microparticles from microporous membranes [42,43] has been demonstrated earlier toward Current technologies for managing acute and chronic pain have focused on reducing the time required for achieving high therapeutic efficiency. Herein a wearable transdermal patch is introduced, employing an acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) methodology, as an effective noninvasive transdermal platform, for a fast local delivery of the anesthetic agent lidocaine.…”