Apparatus for manufacturing a microarray and method for manufacturing a microarray - Patents.com

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing microarrays, the apparatus comprising a die (10). The die (10) has a plurality of cavities (12), and a cover element (18) is further provided to cover the areas between the cavities (12). In this way, when dispensing an activator-containing liquid, it is possible to remove the activator-containing liquid from the areas between the cavities (12). This is done by again removing the cover element (18). An activator-free liquid can then be dispensed, filling the remaining portions of the cavities with the activator-free liquid, forming a support layer (30) on the upper surface (14) of the die (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a microarray and a method for manufacturing a microarray.

Background Art

[0002] A microarray generally has a plurality of microneedles disposed on or connected to a support element such as a patch, plaster, etc. This type of microarray has a large number of microneedles. In this case, the length of the needles is selected such that when the microneedles penetrate the patient's skin, the microneedles penetrate the skin only to such an extent that the tip of the needle does not contact the nerve or blood vessel as much as possible. The microneedles contain an active agent or a drug. In this case, it is possible to apply the corresponding active agent to the surface or outside of the microneedles. Similarly, the microneedles themselves can contain the corresponding active agent, and the material of the microneedles dissolves in the patient's skin. In this way, the active agent is applied.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] For example, the use of dies formed of silicone is known for manufacturing microarrays. The die has a plurality of cavities that form micro needles. A liquid or mass containing a corresponding active agent is metered into the die such that the cavities are at least partially filled with the liquid or mass containing the corresponding active agent. In this case, it is possible to meter an amount of the active agent-containing liquid into a die that is as large as the support layer or support element obtained on the upper side of the die, and the support layer or support element connects the individual needles to each other. In this case, since the entire microarray is formed from an active agent-containing material, which is expensive, it is further known to form the microarray from a plurality of layers. In this case, first, a first active agent-containing liquid is metered into the cavities of the die. Optionally, after a first drying step, a further liquid that does not contain an active agent is metered in. Optionally, it is further possible to provide three or more layers. A disadvantage when manufacturing a microarray from a plurality of layers is that during metering of the active agent-containing liquid, the active agent-containing liquid often not only reaches the tip of the cavity, but also the upper side of the die and the upper edge or the inner wall of the upper part of the cavity. The active agent located in such places is not administered to the patient.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a microarray that ensures that the active agent-containing liquid is provided substantially only at the tip of the cavity. The object of the present invention is further to provide a corresponding method for manufacturing a microarray.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] These objects are achieved by an apparatus for manufacturing a microarray having the features of claim 1 and a method for manufacturing a microarray having the features of claim 11.

[0006] The apparatus according to the present invention for manufacturing a microarray comprises a die having a plurality of cavities. Further, a cover element is provided that covers the area between the cavities. As a result, it is possible first to place the cover element on the upper surface of the die such that the area between the cavities is at least partially covered, particularly in the case of a multi-layer microarray. In the next step, an activator-containing material, in particular the corresponding liquid, is metered. The portion of the liquid that does not enter the cavities but accumulates on the cover element can be easily removed by removing the cover element. Thereafter, in the next step, it is possible to meter a second liquid that does not contain an activator. For this purpose, it is possible to form a corresponding support layer or a corresponding support element. In this case, the first activator-containing liquid is metered in an amount such that the cavities are only partially filled. Thereby, the tip of the needle contains an activator. Thereafter, the upper part of each individual needle is filled with a material that does not contain an activator. In addition, a cap layer that forms a support element is applied to the upper surface of the die.

[0007] The die preferably has an upper surface on which the openings of the cavities are formed. The cavities are particularly formed in a pyramidal shape and have a square cross-section. The cavities can be further configured as spheres having a circular cross-section. The cover element is particularly configured to be placed on the upper surface of the die during metering of the activator-containing liquid. In this case, the cover element is configured according to a template or foil having openings such that substantially only the area between the cavities is covered by the cover element.

[0008] In order to meter a liquid that does not contain an activator in a subsequent step, the cover element is preferably provided only on the upper surface of the die and can thus be easily removed. By removing the cover element, the activator-containing liquid that is not at the tip of the cavity is also removed.

[0009] In a preferred development example of the present invention, the cover element is a foil or a template. It is particularly preferred that the cover element has a protruding portion that protrudes into the cavity. In particular, the protruding portion is configured to protrude in the upper region of the cavity and be provided on the inner wall of the cavity. For this reason, when the cover element is removed, it is possible to further remove the activator-containing liquid in the upper region of the cavity. In this case, the upper region of the cavity is a region facing in the direction of the upper surface of the die.

[0010] In particular, at least the individual protruding portions are configured to be at the periphery like a color. In this way, at least the individual protruding portions protrude as a peripheral color into one cavity in any case. It is preferred that all the protruding portions are configured in this way. It is particularly preferred that at least the individual protruding portions are configured to completely cover the upper region in the upper region of the corresponding cavity.

[0011] With the device according to the present invention, since the activator-containing liquid is substantially present only in the region of the tip of the microneedle, it is possible to greatly improve the quality of the microarray.

[0012] The present invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a microarray, and it is particularly preferred to perform this method by the above-described device according to the present invention. In the first step of the method according to the present invention, the cover element is placed on the die, particularly on the upper surface of the die. In this case, the cover element is configured to cover the region between the cavities of the die. The cover element can preferably be configured as described above, and in particular has a protruding portion that protrudes into the cavity.

[0013] In the next step, a quantitative supply of the activator-containing liquid into the cavity is performed. During the process, the activator-containing liquid also reaches the cover element. Then, the cover element is removed in the next step. Optionally, a drying step can be performed before removing the cover element, and in the drying step, the activator-containing liquid is at least partially cured by evaporation of the solvent.

[0014] After removing the cover element, a liquid without an activator is quantitatively supplied to both the inside of the cavity and the upper surface of the die. As a result, a support layer or support element of the microarray is formed.

[0015] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the individual steps are performed in the order described above.

[0016] Optionally, one or more intermediate layers can be further quantitatively supplied, and such intermediate layers serve to stabilize the microarray and / or help contain another activator.

[0017] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings based on preferred embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a die 10 having a plurality of cavities 12. The cavities extend from the upper surface 14 of the die such that each cavity 12 has an opening 16 in the region of the upper surface 14 of the die.

[0020] Before the metered supply of the liquid containing the active agent, the cover element 18 (Figure 2) is placed on the upper surface of the die 10. In this case, the cover element 18 is configured to cover the region of the upper surface 14 formed between the cavities 12. The cover element 18 further has a protruding portion 20. The protruding portion protrudes into the cavity 12 and covers the inner wall 22 of the cavity in the upper region of the cavity, that is, the region facing the upper surface 14 of the die 10.

[0021] The metered supply of the liquid containing the active agent is performed in the next step (Figure 3). The corresponding liquid is provided at the tip 24. Since the size of the cavity is particularly small, it is impossible to perform the metered supply only to the cavity 12, so a part of the liquid containing the active agent is provided on the cover element 18. These are the droplet regions 26 of the liquid containing the active agent.

[0022] By removing the cover element 18, the liquid containing the active agent on the cover element is further removed. Thereafter, during the subsequent steps, it is possible to perform the metered supply of a liquid that does not contain any active agent. The liquid fills the upper region 28 of the cavity on the one hand and forms a continuous cap layer 30 on the other hand. After the material is cured, it is possible to remove the microarray from the die 10.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for manufacturing a microarray, comprising: a die having a plurality of cavities; a cover element covering the area between said cavities during dispensing of an activator-containing liquid into said cavities; It is equipped with the cover element is removable after dispensing of the activator-containing liquid such that the area of ​​the die covered by the cover element is free of activator-containing liquid; The cover element has a protruding portion that protrudes into the cavity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the die has a surface in which the opening of the cavity is formed.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the cover element is mounted on a surface of the die.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the cover element is placed on a surface of the die during dispensing of an activator-containing liquid.

5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cover element is removable for dispensing liquid without an activator.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cover element is formed as a foil.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cover element is formed as a template.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the protruding portion is provided on an inner wall of the cavity in an opening side region of the cavity.

9. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the protruding portion is formed on a periphery of the cavity.

10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the entire opening side area of ​​the cavity is covered by the protruding portion.

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