Microneedle applicator and microneedle patch applied thereto

Abstract

A microneedle applicator and a microneedle patch applicable thereto are provided. A microneedle applicator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing having a side wall defining a receiving portion into which a microneedle patch is inserted on the lower side; a plate provided to be exposed to the outside through the receiving portion from inside the housing and on which a microneedle patch is mounted by magnetic force; and a driving member that drives the plate to shoot in one direction within the receiving portion to attach the microneedle patch to a user's skin or to return it to its original position after being shot.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a microneedle applicator and a microneedle patch applied thereto. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, biodegradable microneedles for human drug delivery typically use two forms for insertion into the skin: a patch and an applicator. In the case of the patch form, the microneedles are inserted into the skin by the force applied by the user's palm, so the reliability of insertion cannot be guaranteed depending on the user or the application site. Consequently, the degree of insertion of the microneedles is not uniform depending on the location of the microneedle patch, which reduces the efficiency of drug delivery.

[0003] To address this, products that assist in the insertion of microneedles into the skin are being developed. However, most of these are implemented directly on or in conjunction with microneedle patches, which limits them to single-use applications and increases the burden on users due to the resulting rise in the price of microneedle patches. Prior art literature

[0004] KR 2018-0046290 A The problem to be solved

[0005] To solve the problems of the conventional technology described above, one embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a microneedle applicator that mounts a microneedle patch by magnetic force and shoots or presses it against the skin to effectively attach the microneedle patch to the skin while allowing for repeated use.

[0006] In addition, one embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a microneedle applicator that facilitates the mounting and attachment of a microneedle patch to the skin using magnetic force, and a microneedle patch applied thereto.

[0007] However, the problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem, a microneedle applicator is provided, comprising: a housing having a side wall defining a receiving portion into which a microneedle patch is inserted on the lower side; a plate provided to be exposed to the outside through the receiving portion from inside the housing and having the microneedle patch mounted by magnetic force; and a driving member that drives the plate to shoot in one direction within the receiving portion to attach the microneedle patch to a user's skin or to return it to its original position after being shot.

[0009] In one embodiment, the magnetic force may be smaller than the adhesion force with which the microneedle patch is attached to the skin.

[0010] In one embodiment, the magnetic force may be smaller than the return force of the plate.

[0011] In one embodiment, either one of the plate and one side of the microneedle patch may include a magnet, and the other may include a magnetic material.

[0012] In one embodiment, the driving member can drive the plate so that the plate protrudes to the outside of the receiving portion in order to mount the microneedle patch.

[0013] In one embodiment, the microneedle applicator may further include an operating part selected by a user to initiate the operation of the driving member, which is provided on the outer side of the housing.

[0014] In one embodiment, the operating part may be provided with a central portion of its outer surface having a concave shape.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a microneedle applicator is provided comprising: a housing to which a microneedle patch is coupled to the lower side and which attaches the microneedle patch to the user's skin by an external force applied by the user; and a plate provided on the lower side of the housing to which the microneedle patch is mounted by a magnetic force, wherein the magnetic force is smaller than the attachment force by which the microneedle patch is attached to the skin.

[0016] In one embodiment, the housing is provided with a side wall that defines a receiving portion into which the microneedle patch is inserted on the lower side, and the plate may be provided so as to be exposed to the outside through the receiving portion from inside the housing.

[0017] In one embodiment, the side wall may be provided so that the microneedles of the microneedle patch protrude outside the receiving portion.

[0018] In one embodiment, the plate may be provided over the entire lower surface of the housing.

[0019] In one embodiment, the plate may be provided between the side walls at the lower side of the housing.

[0020] In one embodiment, the microneedle applicator further comprises: a display portion provided on the outside of the housing that turns on or off depending on the state in which the microneedle patch is mounted on the plate; a battery provided on the inside of the housing that supplies power to the display portion; and a terminal portion provided on the side wall of the housing at a position corresponding to the microneedle patch mounted on the plate, and electrically connected to one side of the battery or the display portion, and the microneedle patch may have electrical conductivity.

[0021] In one embodiment, the terminal portion may be provided on the side wall on the receiving portion side or on the lower surface of the side wall.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, a microneedle patch is provided that is mounted on a microneedle applicator as described above, comprising: a base layer mounted to the microneedle applicator by magnetic force; microneedles formed in an array on one surface of the base layer and made of a biodegradable material; and a cover provided to cover the microneedles on one surface of the base layer and adhered to the base layer, wherein the adhesion force between the cover and the base layer is smaller than the magnetic force.

[0023] In one embodiment, the base layer may include a magnet or a magnetic material.

[0024] In one embodiment, the microneedle patch may further include an auxiliary plate made of a magnet or a magnetic material and provided on the other side of the base layer.

[0025] In one embodiment, with the base layer mounted on the microneedle applicator, the cover may be provided to protrude outward from the bottom of the microneedle applicator.

[0026] In one embodiment, the base layer is provided with a groove in at least a portion of its outer periphery, and the cover can be adhered to the side of the base layer at the groove.

[0027] In one embodiment, the end of the cover may be adhered to the one surface of the base layer. Effects of the invention

[0028] A microneedle applicator and a microneedle patch applied thereto according to one embodiment of the present invention can effectively attach the microneedle patch to the skin and allow for repeated use by mounting the microneedle patch to the microneedle applicator by magnetic force and shooting or pressing the microneedle patch into the skin using the microneedle applicator, thereby improving user convenience and reducing the user's cost burden.

[0029] In addition, the present invention can improve user convenience by facilitating the mounting and attachment of the microneedle patch to the skin by utilizing the magnetic force formed between the microneedle patch and the microneedle applicator to mount the microneedle patch and separating the microneedle patch from the microneedle applicator by the adhesion force between the microneedle patch and the skin.

[0030] In addition, the present invention allows for the removal of the cover of a microneedle patch while the microneedle patch is mounted on a microneedle applicator by magnetic force, thereby minimizing contact between the user and the microneedle patch, preventing damage or contamination of the microneedle, and thus improving the stability and reliability of use.

[0031] In addition, the present invention allows the microneedle patch to be mounted by magnetic force with the plate protruding outside the microneedle applicator, thereby making it easier to remove the cover of the microneedle patch while simultaneously ensuring a sufficient shooting distance of the plate for shooting the microneedle patch.

[0032] In addition, the present invention allows the microneedle applicator to not be equipped with a driving member for shooting, and by applying pressure to the skin while the microneedle patch is mounted, the receiving portion of the microneedle applicator for mounting the microneedle patch and the cover of the microneedle patch can be minimized, thereby reducing the overall size of both the microneedle applicator and the microneedle patch. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0033] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a microneedle applicator and a microneedle patch according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the microneedle applicator of Figure 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a microneedle patch according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an equivalent circuit diagram for explaining the operation of the display unit of a microneedle applicator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the microneedle applicator of Figure 1 with a microneedle patch attached. FIG. 6 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the lighting state of the display part of a microneedle applicator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example in which a microneedle patch is mounted on the microneedle applicator of Figure 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the microneedle applicator and microneedle patch of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another example of a microneedle applicator and microneedle patch according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the microneedle applicator and microneedle patch of FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a microneedle applicator according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the microneedle applicator of Fig. 11. FIG. 13 is a drawing showing another example of a microneedle applicator according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a drawing showing another example of a microneedle applicator according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the microneedle applicator and microneedle patch of FIG. 11. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted to clearly explain the present invention, and the same reference numerals have been used for identical or similar components throughout the specification.

[0035] The embodiments of the present invention are provided to more fully explain the invention to those skilled in the art, and the embodiments described below may be modified in various different forms, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments below. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the invention more faithful and complete and to fully convey the spirit of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to drawings that schematically illustrate embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, variations of the illustrated shapes may be expected, for example, depending on manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to specific shapes of the areas illustrated herein, but should include, for example, variations in shape resulting from manufacturing.

[0037] The microneedle applicator according to the present invention is intended to effectively attach a microneedle patch to the skin and includes two embodiments. Here, the first embodiment is a shooting method that provides additional external force to increase the reliability of attaching the microneedle patch to the skin, and the second embodiment is a stamping method that attaches the microneedle patch (10) to the skin by an external force applied by a user.

[0038] At this time, the microneedle patch can be mounted to the microneedle applicator by magnetic force between them. Additionally, the microneedles provided in the microneedle patch may be made of a biodegradable material. Here, the microneedles may contain drugs for various uses.

[0039] Accordingly, the microneedle applicator according to the present invention can effectively attach a microneedle patch to the skin and allow for repeated use while replacing the microneedle patch, thereby improving user convenience and reducing the manufacturing cost of the microneedle patch, which can alleviate the user's cost burden.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a microneedle applicator and a microneedle patch according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the microneedle applicator of FIG. 1.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a microneedle applicator (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a housing (110), a plate (130), and a driving member (140).

[0042] The microneedle applicator (100) according to the first embodiment is a shooting method that provides an external force for skin attachment, and can shoot the microneedle patch (10) onto the skin by the provided external force. Here, "external force" is a force provided by a driving member (140) and may be a pressure force for attaching the microneedle patch (10) to the skin. Additionally, "shooting" means that the microneedle patch (10) is separated from the microneedle applicator (100) and moves forward toward the skin.

[0043] The housing (110) forms the entire exterior of the microneedle applicator (100) as the part that the user holds. For example, the housing (110) is formed in a cylindrical shape, but is not limited to that shape. Here, the housing (110) may be provided with a side wall (116) that defines a receiving portion (120) into which a microneedle patch (10) is inserted on the lower side. For example, the side wall (116) defining the receiving portion (120) may be made of a transparent material to allow verification of the skin application area. At this time, the receiving portion (120) may be provided in a shape corresponding to the shape of the microneedle patch (10). For example, the receiving portion (120) may be provided in a circular shape.

[0044] The housing (110) may further include a control part (112) for the shooting action of the microneedle patch (10).

[0045] The control unit (112) may be provided on the outside of the housing (110). The user may select the control unit (112) to initiate the operation of the driving member (140). For example, the user may press the control unit (112) to operate the driving member (140) and shoot the microneedle patch (10).

[0046] The control part (112) may be provided with a concave shape in the center of the outer surface. By doing so, the user's finger can be guided to be positioned at the exact center of the control part (112), thereby improving user convenience and simultaneously improving the reliability of the shooting action.

[0047] The plate (130) may be provided so as to be exposed to the outside through the receiving portion (120) from inside the housing (110). Here, the receiving portion (120) may provide a shooting distance for the plate (130). That is, the plate (130) may be provided so as to be movable in the up and down direction within the receiving portion (120). Thus, the plate (130) can press the microneedle patch (10) to attach the base layer (11) of the microneedle patch (10) to the skin while simultaneously inserting the microneedle (12) into the skin.

[0048] The plate (130) can be coupled to the driving member (140) through a piston (132) provided at the center of the upper surface. That is, the plate (130) can move in the up and down direction by receiving force from the driving member (140) through the piston (132).

[0049] A plate (130) may be equipped with a microneedle patch (10) by means of magnetic force. For example, the plate (130) may include a magnet. In this case, one side of the microneedle patch (10) may include a magnetic material. As another example, the plate (130) may include a magnetic material. In this case, one side of the microneedle patch (10) may include a magnet. That is, either one of the plate (130) and one side of the microneedle patch (10) may include a magnet, and the other may include a magnetic material. Here, one side of the microneedle patch (10) may be a base layer (11).

[0050] At this time, the magnetic force formed between the plate (130) to mount the microneedle patch (10) may be smaller than the adhesive force with which the microneedle patch (10) attaches to the skin. Here, the magnetic force refers to the force formed by the magnetism between the plate (130) and the microneedle patch (10). Additionally, the adhesive force refers to the bonding force between the microneedle patch (10) and the skin due to the adhesive force of the microneedle patch (10).

[0051] Additionally, the magnetic force formed between the microneedle patch (10) and the plate (130) may be smaller than the return force of the plate (130). Here, the return force refers to the force exerted on the plate (130) when it returns to its original position after being shot.

[0052] Accordingly, when the microneedle patch (10) is attached to the skin and then returns to its original position after the plate (130) is shot, the magnetic force between the microneedle patch (10) and the plate (130) is released, so that the microneedle patch (10) can be separated from the plate (130).

[0053] That is, when the microneedle patch (10) is attached to the skin by shooting of the plate (130) and then returns to its original position, the microneedle patch (10) remains attached to the skin, and the magnetic force between the microneedle patch (10) and the plate (130) is released by the skin adhesion force of the microneedle patch (10), so that the plate (130) can be separated from the microneedle patch (10).

[0054] Additionally, when the plate (130) returns to its original position from the maximum shooting position due to the return force, a reaction force corresponding to the return force is applied to the microneedle patch (10). At this time, an inertial force acts on the microneedle patch (10) to maintain its position in response to the reaction force, and this inertial force may be greater than the magnetic force formed between the microneedle patch (10) and the plate (130). Therefore, due to this inertial force, the magnetic force between the microneedle patch (10) and the plate (130) is released, and the plate (130) can be separated from the microneedle patch (10).

[0055] Additionally, the magnetic force between the microneedle patch (10) and the plate (130) may be greater than the force lifting the microneedle patch (10). That is, the magnetic force between the microneedle patch (10) and the plate (130) may be greater than the weight of the microneedle patch (10). Therefore, the microneedle applicator (100) can easily mount the microneedle patch (10) to the plate (130) by means of the magnetic force between it and the microneedle patch (10).

[0056] Accordingly, the microneedle applicator (100) and microneedle patch (10) according to the first embodiment of the present invention can improve user convenience by facilitating the attachment and detachment of the microneedle applicator (100) and the microneedle patch (10) through the attachment of the microneedle patch by magnetic force and the detachment of the microneedle patch by adhesion force with the skin.

[0057] The driving member (140) can be driven to shoot the plate (130) in one direction within the receiving portion (120) to attach the microneedle patch (10) to the user's skin by the operation of the operating portion (112), or to return it to its original position after being shot.

[0058] The driving member (140) may be provided on the upper side of the plate (130) inside the housing (110). At this time, the driving member (140) may be driven to lower the plate (130) according to the operation of the operating unit (112). Additionally, the driving member (140) may be driven to pull the plate (130) to return it to its original position after the microneedle patch (10) is attached to the skin.

[0059] For example, the driving member (140) may include an elastic member that provides elastic force through the piston (132) of the plate (130). Here, the elastic force may provide a driving force for shooting or restoring the plate (130) to its original position.

[0060] As another example, the driving member (140) may include a motor that provides linear motion by rotation. Here, the driving member (140) may further include a power transmission unit connected to the motor.

[0061] A microneedle patch (10) according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a base layer (11), microneedles (12) and a cover (13).

[0062] The base layer (11) is formed in a plate shape and may have an adhesive material applied to one side to adhere to the skin. Here, the adhesion force applied to the skin by the adhesive force of the adhesive material may be greater than the magnetic force formed between the microneedle patch (10) and the plate (130) to mount the microneedle patch (10).

[0063] The base layer (11) can be mounted on the plate (130) of the microneedle applicator (100) on its other side. At this time, the base layer (11) can be mounted on the plate (130) by magnetic force between it and the plate (130). Here, the base layer (11) may include a magnet or a magnetic material. For example, the base layer (11) may be made of a magnet or a magnetic material. As another example, the base layer (11) may include nanoparticles made of a magnet or a magnetic material.

[0064] Microneedles (12) can be formed in an array on one side of the base layer (11). The microneedles (12) can be made of a biodegradable material. That is, the microneedles (12) can decompose within the user's skin and be absorbed into the skin. Additionally, the microneedles (12) may contain drugs for various uses.

[0065] A cover (13) may be provided to cover a microneedle (12) on one side of the base layer (11). For example, the cover (13) may be provided in a cylindrical shape with one side open. The shape of the cover (13) is not particularly limited, but may have a cross-section identical to the shape of the base layer (11).

[0066] At this time, the cover (13) can be detachably attached to the base layer (11). Here, the cover (13) can be detached from the base layer (11) after the microneedle patch (10) is mounted on the microneedle applicator (100). For example, the end of the cover (13) can be attached to one side of the base layer (11). That is, the outer surface of the cover (13) and the outer surface of the base layer (11) can form the same plane.

[0067] Here, the adhesive force between the cover (13) and the base layer (11) may be smaller than the magnetic force between the base layer (11) and the plate (130). Therefore, when the cover (13) is separated from the base layer (11) while the microneedle patch (10) is mounted on the microneedle applicator (100), the cover (13) can be separated from the base layer (11) while the microneedle patch (10) remains mounted on the plate (130).

[0068] At this time, the cover (13) may be provided to protrude outward from the bottom of the microneedle applicator (100) while the base layer (11) of the microneedle patch (10) is mounted on the microneedle applicator (100). That is, the thickness (t1) of the cover (13) may be greater than the length (l1) of the receiving portion (120). By doing so, the cover (13) can be easily removed while the microneedle patch (10) is mounted on the microneedle applicator (100).

[0069] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a microneedle patch according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 3, the microneedle patch (10a) may further include an auxiliary plate (14). Since the microneedle patch (10a) is identical to the microneedle patch (10) of FIG. 1 except for the auxiliary plate (14), a detailed description is omitted.

[0071] The auxiliary plate (14) is for mounting the microneedle patch (10a) onto the plate (130) and may be provided separately from the base layer (11). Here, one side of the microneedle patch (10a) mounted to the microneedle applicator (100) using magnetic force may be the auxiliary plate (14). At this time, the auxiliary plate (14) may be provided on the other side of the base layer (11). Additionally, the auxiliary plate (14) may be bonded to the other side of the base layer (11) by an adhesive layer.

[0072] The auxiliary plate (14) may be made of a magnet or a magnetic material. In this case, the base layer (11) may not include a magnet or a magnetic material. Accordingly, it is possible to manufacture the base layer (11) for forming the microneedle (12) and the auxiliary plate (14) for mounting to the microneedle applicator (100) by magnetic force separately, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and making it easy to manufacture the microneedle patch (10a).

[0073] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2, the housing (110) may further include a display (114) indicating the mounting status of the microneedle patch (10).

[0074] The display unit (114) is provided on the outside of the housing (110) and can be turned on or turned off depending on the state in which the microneedle patch (10) is mounted on the plate (130). For example, the display unit (114) may be a light-emitting element such as an LED.

[0075] At this time, the microneedle applicator (100) may further include a battery. The battery is provided inside the housing (110) and can supply power so that the display (114) turns on and emits light.

[0076] Additionally, a terminal portion (110a) may be further included on the side wall of the housing (110). The terminal portion (110a) may be provided near the plate (130) in the receiving portion (120). For example, the terminal portion (110a) may be provided on the side wall (116) toward the receiving portion (120). Here, the terminal portion (110a) may be provided so as to be exposed to the receiving portion (120).

[0077] The terminal portion (110a) may be provided at a position corresponding to the base layer (11) or auxiliary plate (14) of the microneedle patch (10) mounted on the plate (130). Here, the terminal portion (110a) may be electrically connected to one side of the battery. Optionally, the terminal portion (110a) may be electrically connected to one side of the display portion (114).

[0078] At this time, the base layer (11) of the microneedle patch (10) may include an electrically conductive material. For example, the base layer (11) may be made of an electrically conductive material. As another example, the base layer (11) may include nanoparticles made of an electrically conductive material.

[0079] Optionally, the auxiliary plate (14) of the microneedle patch (10a) may include an electrically conductive material. For example, the auxiliary plate (14) may be made of a metal plate.

[0080] FIG. 4 is an equivalent circuit diagram for explaining the operation of the display unit of a microneedle applicator according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the state in which a microneedle patch is mounted on the microneedle applicator of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the illuminated state of the display unit of the microneedle applicator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 4, the display unit (114) can be electrically connected to the battery (150) and the plate terminal unit (130e). Here, the plate terminal unit (130e) may be an equivalent circuit corresponding to the plate (130). That is, the display unit (114) can be electrically connected to the plate (130). At this time, the battery (150) can be connected to the terminal unit (110a).

[0082] Here, the equivalent switch (11e) corresponds to the base layer (11) or auxiliary plate (14) of the microneedle patch (10) and indicates an open state. Here, the equivalent switch (11e) can be understood as turning on or turning off depending on the state in which the base layer (11) or auxiliary plate (14) of the microneedle patch (10) is in contact with the plate (130).

[0083] Referring to FIG. 5, when the base layer (11) is mounted on the plate (130), the base layer (11) can electrically contact the terminal portion (110a) provided on the side wall (116) of the housing (110). At this time, the base layer (11) and the plate (130) may be coupled by magnetic force and may also be electrically connected.

[0084] In this specification, when describing the case where a base layer is mounted on a plate as an example, it is obvious that it can be applied when an auxiliary plate is mounted on a plate.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 6, the base layer (11) and the terminal portion (110a) are electrically bonded, and the base layer (11) and the plate (130) come into contact due to the magnetic force between them, so that the equivalent switch (11e) is turned on. Thus, a closed circuit is formed between the battery (150) and the display portion (114), so that the display portion (114) can be turned on and emit light.

[0086] Meanwhile, when the microneedle patch (10) is attached to the skin and then separated from the plate (130), the equivalent switch (11e) is opened again as shown in FIG. 4, so that the battery (150) and the display unit (114) do not form an electrically closed circuit, and thus the power supply from the battery (150) to the display unit (114) is cut off and the display unit (114) can be turned off.

[0087] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example in which a microneedle patch is mounted on the microneedle applicator of Figure 1.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 7, the base layer (11') may be provided with a groove (11a) in at least a portion of its outer periphery. For example, the groove (11a) may be provided in all directions centered on the center of the base layer (11'). Here, the cross-section of the cutting line (XX) in FIG. 7 (a) is the same as FIG. 7 (b).

[0089] As shown in FIG. 7(b), the base layer (11') can be mounted in the center, spaced apart from both sides of the plate (130). At this time, since the base layer (11') is not provided in the groove (11a) and thus no magnetic force is formed with the plate (130), the base layer (11') can be mounted on the plate (130) so as to be positioned in the center of the plate (130).

[0090] Accordingly, the microneedle patch (10b) can be aligned at the exact center of the plate (130). Therefore, the microneedle patch (10b) can receive the shooting force from the microneedle applicator (100) evenly throughout, thereby improving the reliability of the skin insertion of the microneedle (12).

[0091] At this time, the cover (13) can be attached to the side of the base layer (11) in the groove (11a). That is, the cover (13) is not attached along the outer periphery of the base layer (11'), and the base layer (11') and the cover (13) can be partially attached only in the groove (11a).

[0092] As a result, the microneedle patch (10b) has a reduced adhesion area between the cover (13) and the base layer (11'), so that the cover (13) can be separated more easily from the base layer (11').

[0093] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the microneedle applicator and microneedle patch of FIG. 1.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 8, first, a user prepares a microneedle applicator (100) and a microneedle patch (10) (a). When the user brings the microneedle applicator (100) closer to the microneedle patch (10) from the upper side, the microneedle patch (10) is mounted to the microneedle applicator (100) along the receiving portion (120) by the magnetic force formed along the magnetic field between the microneedle patch (10) and the microneedle applicator (100) (b). Although the plate (130) is not shown in part of FIG. 8, it can be understood that the plate (130) is placed on the top of the receiving portion (120).

[0095] In this way, with the microneedle patch (10) mounted on the microneedle applicator (100), the user separates the cover (13) from the microneedle patch (10) (c). At this time, since the adhesive force between the base layer (11) and the cover (13) is smaller than the magnetic force between the microneedle applicator (100) and the base layer (11), the cover (13) can be separated from the base layer (11) while the base layer (11) is mounted on the microneedle applicator (100).

[0096] Accordingly, the microneedle applicator (100) and microneedle patch (10) according to the first embodiment of the present invention can prevent damage or contamination of the microneedle (12) by minimizing contact between the user and the microneedle patch (10). Therefore, the microneedle applicator (100) and microneedle patch (10) can improve the stability and reliability of use.

[0097] With the cover (13) removed and only the base layer (11) and microneedles (12) mounted on the microneedle applicator (100), the user places the microneedle applicator (100) on the skin (1) area where they want to attach the microneedle patch (10) (d).

[0098] When the user selects a shooting action by the control unit (112), the plate (130) shoots downward, and the microneedle patch (10) is attached to the skin (1) (e). At this time, the base layer (11) is attached to the skin (1), and the microneedle (12) is inserted into the skin (1) by the shooting force.

[0099] When the plate (130) returns to its original position while the base layer (11) is attached to the skin (1) and the microneedle (12) is inserted into the skin (1), the plate (130) is separated from the base layer (11), and the base layer (11) remains attached to the skin (1) (f). At this time, because the adhesion force between the base layer (11) and the skin (1) is greater than the magnetic force between the microneedle applicator (100) and the base layer (11), the plate (130) can be separated from the base layer (11) while the base layer (11) remains attached to the skin (1).

[0100] The user separates the microneedle applicator (100) from the skin (1), and the base layer (11) remains attached to the skin (1) for a while until the microneedle (12) is absorbed into the skin (1) (g). At this time, when the microneedle (12) is absorbed into the skin (1), the user removes the base layer (11) from the skin (1).

[0101] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another example of a microneedle applicator and microneedle patch according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 9, the microneedle applicator (100') according to a modified example of the first embodiment is a shooting type, and can shoot a microneedle patch (10') onto the skin by an external force provided. Here, the microneedle applicator (100') is identical to the microneedle applicator (100) of FIG. 1 except for the method of mounting the microneedle patch (10'), so a detailed description is omitted.

[0103] The microneedle applicator (100') may have a plate (130') and a piston (132') exposed to the outside to mount a microneedle patch (10'). That is, the driving member (140') can drive the plate (130') so that the plate (130') protrudes to the outside of the receiving portion (120').

[0104] For example, when the user maintains the control unit (112) in a pressed state, the driving member (140') can be driven to continuously expose the plate (130') to the receiving unit (120'). At this time, the cover (13') can be removed while the microneedle patch (10') is mounted on the plate (130') that is exposed to the outside. Thus, the thickness (t2) of the cover (13') can be smaller than the thickness (t1) of the cover (13) of the microneedle patch (10) of FIG. 1.

[0105] Accordingly, the microneedle applicator (100') can more easily remove the cover (13') of the microneedle patch (10') because the microneedle patch (10') is mounted with the plate (130') protruding outward.

[0106] Meanwhile, since the microneedle patch (10') is mounted with the plate (130') exposed to the outside of the receiving portion (120'), the receiving portion (120') does not need to be restricted so that the base layer (11) is mounted to the plate (130') by magnetic force inside it. For example, the length (l2) of the receiving portion (120') may be larger than the length (l1) of the receiving portion (120) of the microneedle applicator (100) of FIG. 1. Thus, the microneedle applicator (100') can sufficiently secure the shooting distance of the plate (130') for shooting the microneedle patch (10').

[0107] Accordingly, the microneedle applicator (100') and microneedle patch (10') according to the first embodiment of the present invention can reduce manufacturing costs by minimizing the microneedle patch (10') by reducing the thickness (t2) of the cover (13'), and can improve the attachment reliability of the microneedle patch (10) by securing a sufficient shooting distance of the plate (130').

[0108] In addition, as the attachment reliability of the microneedle patch (10) improves, the adhesion force between the microneedle patch (10) and the skin (1) increases, so that after one side of the microneedle patch (10) is attached to the skin, the other side can be separated more easily from the plate (130).

[0109] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the microneedle applicator and microneedle patch of FIG. 9.

[0110] Referring to FIG. 10, first, the user prepares a microneedle applicator (100') and a microneedle patch (10'), and protrudes the plate (130') of the microneedle applicator (100') outward (a).

[0111] When the user brings the microneedle applicator (100') closer to the upper side of the microneedle patch (10'), the microneedle patch (10') is mounted to the plate (130') by the magnetic force formed along the magnetic field between the microneedle patch (10') and the protruding plate (130') (b). At this time, the user separates the cover (13') from the microneedle patch (10'). Although the plate (130') is not shown in part of FIG. 10, it can be understood that the plate (130') is placed on the upper part of the receiving portion (120').

[0112] In this way, when the base layer (11) of the microneedle patch (10') is mounted on the plate (130'), and the plate (130') is returned to its original position inside the receiving portion (120'), the base layer (11) and the microneedle (12) can be inserted into the receiving portion (120') (c).

[0113] At this time, the user places the microneedle applicator (100') on the skin (1) where the user wants to attach the microneedle patch (10') (d).

[0114] When the user selects a shooting action by the control unit (112), the plate (130') shoots downward and the microneedle patch (10) is attached to the skin (1) (e). At this time, the base layer (11) is attached to the skin (1) and the microneedle (12) is inserted into the skin (1) by the shooting force. Here, since the shooting distance of the plate (130') is longer than in the case of FIG. 8, the base layer (11) can be attached to the skin (1) more reliably and firmly.

[0115] When the base layer (11) is attached to the skin (1) and the microneedle (12) is inserted into the skin (1), and the plate (130') returns to its original position, the plate (130') is separated from the base layer (11), and the base layer (11) remains attached to the skin (1) (f). At this time, because the adhesion force between the base layer (11) and the skin (1) is greater than the magnetic force between the microneedle applicator (100') and the base layer (11), the plate (130') can be separated from the base layer (11) while the base layer (11) remains attached to the skin (1).

[0116] The user separates the microneedle applicator (100') from the skin (1), and the base layer (11) remains attached to the skin (1) for a short time until the microneedle (12) is absorbed into the skin (1) (g). At this time, when the microneedle (12) is absorbed into the skin (1), the user removes the base layer (11) from the skin (1).

[0117] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a microneedle applicator according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the microneedle applicator of FIG. 11.

[0118] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the microneedle applicator (200) according to the second embodiment of the present invention is a stamp type in which a driving member is omitted, and can attach a microneedle patch to the skin by an external force of a user. Here, "external force" is a pressure applied by a user, and may be a force that presses the microneedle applicator (200) in the direction of the skin.

[0119] The housing (210) forms the entire exterior of the microneedle applicator (200) as a part that the user holds. For example, the housing (210) is formed in a cylindrical shape, but is not limited to that shape. Here, a microneedle patch (10) can be attached to the lower side of the housing (210). At this time, the housing (210) can attach the microneedle patch (10) to the user's skin by an external force applied by the user.

[0120] The housing (210) may include a display portion (214) indicating the mounting status of the microneedle patch (10). At this time, the housing (210) may be provided with a terminal portion (210a) on a side wall (216). Since the display portion (214) and the terminal portion (210a) are identical to the display portion (114) and the terminal portion (110a) of FIG. 1, a detailed description is omitted.

[0121] The housing (210) may be provided with a side wall (216) that defines a receiving portion (220) into which a microneedle patch (10) is inserted on the lower side. At this time, the receiving portion (220) may be provided in a shape corresponding to the shape of the microneedle patch (10). For example, the receiving portion (220) may be provided in a circular shape.

[0122] The side wall (216) may be provided so that the microneedles (12) of the microneedle patch (10) protrude outside the receiving portion (220). Here, the length (l3) of the receiving portion (220) may be minimized to the extent that it forms sufficient magnetic force for the microneedle patch (10) to be mounted on the plate (230). For example, the length (l3) of the receiving portion (220) may be smaller than the total thickness of the base layer (11) and the microneedles (12) of the microneedle patch (10). Additionally, the length (l3) of the receiving portion (220) may be smaller than the length (l1) of the receiving portion (120) of the microneedle applicator (100) of FIG. 1.

[0123] The plate (230) may be provided so as to be exposed to the outside through the receiving portion (220) from inside the housing (210). The plate (230) may be provided within the receiving portion (220) on the lower side of the housing (210).

[0124] At this time, the microneedle patch (10) can be mounted by the magnetic force between the plate (230) and the microneedle patch (10). For example, the plate (230) may include a magnet. At this time, one side of the microneedle patch (10) may include a magnetic material. As another example, the plate (230) may include a magnetic material. At this time, one side of the microneedle patch (10) may include a magnet. That is, either one of the plate (230) and one side of the microneedle patch (10) may include a magnet, and the other may include a magnetic material. Here, one side of the microneedle patch (10) may be a base layer (11).

[0125] The plate (230) can apply pressure to the microneedle patch (10) to attach the base layer (11) of the microneedle patch (10) to the skin while simultaneously inserting the microneedle (12) into the skin. At this time, the magnetic force formed between the plate (230) to mount the microneedle patch (10) to the plate (230) may be smaller than the adhesive force with which the microneedle patch (10) attaches to the skin. Additionally, the magnetic force may be greater than the weight of the microneedle patch (10).

[0126] A microneedle patch (10) may include a base layer (11), microneedles (12), and a cover (13). Here, the microneedle patch (10) is identical to the microneedle patch (10) of FIG. 1 except for the thickness of the cover (13), so a detailed description is omitted.

[0127] The thickness (t3) of the cover (13) is sufficient to be exposed to the outside so that the cover (13) can be removed while the microneedle patch (10) is mounted on the plate (230). For example, the total thickness of the microneedle patch (10) may be greater than the length (l3) of the receiving portion (220). Additionally, the thickness (t3) of the cover (13) may be smaller than the thickness (t1) of the microneedle patch (10) in FIG. 1 and the thickness (t2) of the microneedle patch (10') in FIG. 9.

[0128] Accordingly, the microneedle applicator (200) and the microneedle patch (10) according to the second embodiment of the present invention can reduce the overall size of both the microneedle applicator (200) and the microneedle patch (10) by minimizing the receiving portion (220) of the microneedle applicator (200) for mounting the microneedle patch (10) and the cover (13) of the microneedle patch (10). Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the microneedle applicator (200) and the microneedle patch (10) can be reduced.

[0129] FIG. 13 is a drawing showing another example of a microneedle applicator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 13 (a), a plate (230') according to a modified example of the second embodiment may be provided over the entire lower surface of the housing (210'). That is, the plate (230') may be provided so as to be completely exposed to the outside from the lower side of the housing (210').

[0131] Accordingly, the plate (230') has an increased surface area for mounting the microneedle patch (10"), allowing the microneedle patch (10") to be easily mounted. In addition, even if the microneedle patch (10") is not precisely aligned with the center of the plate (230'), the plate (230') accommodates the entire microneedle patch (10), allowing for uniform pressure to be applied across the entire microneedle patch (10), thereby improving ease of use.

[0132] At this time, the terminal portion (210a') may be provided on the lower surface of the side wall (216') of the housing (210'), as shown in (b) of FIG. 13. In this case, the base layer (11) of the microneedle patch (10) may have an area corresponding to the plate (230').

[0133] FIG. 14 is a drawing showing another example of a microneedle applicator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0134] Referring to FIG. 14, a plate (230) according to a modified example of the second embodiment may be provided between the side walls (216) on the lower side of the housing (210). That is, the housing (210) may be provided without a receiving portion (220) compared to the housing (210) of FIG. 11, and the plate (230) may be provided such that the plate (230) and the side walls (216) are in the same plane.

[0135] Accordingly, the thickness (t3) of the cover (13) of the microneedle patch (10) can be further reduced and minimized because the entire microneedle patch (10) is completely exposed to the outside of the housing (210). In this case, the thickness (t3) of the cover (13) can be minimized enough to sufficiently cover the microneedle (12).

[0136] At this time, the terminal portion (210a) may be provided on the lower surface of the side wall (216) of the housing (210). In this case, the base layer (11) of the microneedle patch (10) may be extended by the area of ​​the side wall (216).

[0137] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the microneedle applicator and microneedle patch of FIG. 11.

[0138] Referring to FIG. 15, first, the user prepares a microneedle applicator (200) and a microneedle patch (10) (a). At this time, the plate (230) can be exposed to the outside within the receiving portion (220).

[0139] When the user brings the microneedle applicator (200) closer to the upper side of the microneedle patch (10"), the microneedle patch (10") is mounted on the plate (230) of the receiving portion (220) by the magnetic force formed along the magnetic field between the microneedle patch (10") and the microneedle applicator (200) (b).

[0140] In this manner, with the microneedle patch (10) mounted on the microneedle applicator (200), the user separates the cover (13) from the microneedle patch (10) (c). At this time, since the adhesive force between the base layer (11) and the cover (13) is smaller than the magnetic force between the microneedle applicator (200) and the base layer (11), the cover (13) can be separated from the base layer (11) while the base layer (11) is mounted on the microneedle applicator (200).

[0141] With the cover (13) removed and only the base layer (11) and microneedles (12) mounted on the microneedle applicator (200), the user places the microneedle applicator (200) on the skin (1) area where they want to attach the microneedle patch (10) (d).

[0142] By the external force of the user, the plate (230) presses the base layer (11) of the microneedle patch (10) so that the microneedle patch (10) is attached to the skin (1) (e). At this time, the base layer (11) is attached to the skin (1) and the microneedle (12) is inserted into the skin (1) by the pressure.

[0143] When the base layer (11) is attached to the skin (1) and the microneedle (12) is inserted into the skin (1), if the user separates the microneedle applicator (200) from the skin (1), the plate (230) is separated from the base layer (11), and the base layer (11) remains attached to the skin (1) (f). At this time, since the adhesion force between the base layer (11) and the skin (1) is greater than the magnetic force between the microneedle applicator (200) and the base layer (11), the plate (230) can be separated from the base layer (11) while the base layer (11) remains attached to the skin (1).

[0144] The base layer (11) remains attached to the skin (1) for a while until the microneedle (12) is absorbed into the skin (1). At this time, when the microneedle (12) is absorbed into the skin (1), the user removes the base layer (11) from the skin (1).

[0145] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the concept of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented in this specification. Those skilled in the art who understand the concept of the present invention may easily propose other embodiments within the scope of the same concept by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components, and such are also to be considered to fall within the scope of the concept of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0146] 100, 100', 200' : Microneedle Applicator 110, 210, 210', 210" : Housing 110a, 210a, 210a', 210a" : Terminal section 112: Control panel 114, 214: Display panel 116, 216, 216', 216" : Sidewalls 120, 120', 220 : Reception area 130, 130', 230, 230', 230" : Plate 130e: Plate terminal section 132, 132' : Piston 140, 140' : Driving member 150 : Battery 10, 10a, 10b, 10', 10" : Microneedle patch 11, 11', 11" : Basal layer 11a : Grooves 11e: Equivalent switch 12: Microneedle 13, 13', 13" : Cover 14 : Auxiliary plate

Claims

Claim 1 A housing having a side wall defining a receiving portion into which a microneedle patch is inserted on the lower side; a plate provided to be exposed to the outside through the receiving portion from inside the housing and on which the microneedle patch is mounted by magnetic force; a driving member that drives the plate to shoot in one direction within the receiving portion to attach the microneedle patch to a user's skin or to return it to its original position after being shot; a display portion provided on the outside of the housing and turning on or turning off depending on the state in which the microneedle patch is mounted on the plate; a battery provided on the inside of the housing and supplying power to the display portion; and a terminal portion provided on the side wall of the housing and provided at a position corresponding to the microneedle patch mounted on the plate, and electrically connected to one side of the battery or the display portion, wherein the microneedle patch is an electrically conductive microneedle applicator. Claim 2 In claim 1, the magnetic force is a microneedle applicator that is smaller than the adhesion force with which the microneedle patch is attached to the skin. Claim 3 In claim 1, the above magnetic force is a microneedle applicator that is smaller than the return force of the plate. Claim 4 A microneedle applicator according to claim 1, wherein one of the plates and one of the microneedle patch surfaces comprises a magnet and the other comprises a magnetic material. Claim 5 In claim 1, the driving member is a microneedle applicator that drives the plate so that the plate protrudes to the outside of the receiving portion in order to mount the microneedle patch. Claim 6 A microneedle applicator according to claim 1, further comprising an operating part selected by a user to initiate the operation of the driving member, provided on the outer side of the housing. Claim 7 In claim 6, the above-mentioned operating part is a microneedle applicator having a concave shape in the center of the outer surface. Claim 8 A microneedle applicator comprising: a housing having a side wall that defines a receiving portion into which a microneedle patch is inserted, wherein a microneedle patch is attached to the lower side and the microneedle patch is attached to the user's skin by an external force applied by a user; a plate provided on the lower side of the housing on which the microneedle patch is mounted by magnetic force; a display unit provided on the outer side of the housing that turns on or turns off depending on the state in which the microneedle patch is mounted on the plate; a battery provided on the inner side of the housing to supply power to the display unit; and a terminal unit provided on the side wall of the housing at a position corresponding to the microneedle patch mounted on the plate, and electrically connected to one side of the battery or the display unit, wherein the magnetic force is smaller than the attachment force with which the microneedle patch is attached to the skin, and the microneedle patch is an electrically conductive microneedle applicator. Claim 9 In claim 8, the plate is a microneedle applicator provided to be exposed to the outside through the receiving portion from inside the housing. Claim 10 In claim 8, the above-mentioned sidewall is a microneedle applicator configured such that the microneedles of the microneedle patch protrude outside the receiving portion. Claim 11 In claim 8, the plate is a microneedle applicator provided over the entire lower surface of the housing. Claim 12 In claim 8, the plate is a microneedle applicator provided between the side walls at the lower side of the housing. Claim 13 delete Claim 14 In claim 8, the terminal portion is a microneedle applicator provided on the side wall on the receiving portion side or on the lower surface of the side wall. Claim 15 A microneedle patch mounted on a microneedle applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising: a base layer mounted to the microneedle applicator by magnetic force; microneedles formed in an array on one surface of the base layer and made of a biodegradable material; and a cover provided to cover the microneedles on one surface of the base layer and adhered to the base layer, wherein the adhesion force between the cover and the base layer is smaller than the magnetic force. Claim 16 In claim 15, the above base layer is a microneedle patch comprising a magnet or a magnetic material. Claim 17 A microneedle patch according to claim 15, further comprising an auxiliary plate provided on the other side of the base layer and made of a magnet or a magnetic material. Claim 18 In claim 15, the microneedle patch is provided such that, with the base layer mounted on the microneedle applicator, the cover protrudes outward from the lower part of the microneedle applicator. Claim 19 In claim 15, the base layer is provided with a groove in at least a portion of its outer periphery, and the cover is a microneedle patch that is adhered to the side of the base layer at the groove. Claim 20 In item 15, the above cover is a microneedle patch in which the end is adhered to the above one surface of the base layer.

Images