Microneedle Patches with Concave Light Grooves for Deep Phototherapy

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing microneedle systems take a long time for drugs to penetrate into skin tissues, causing pain and limiting the therapeutic effect of phototherapy due to inadequate light penetration.

Innovation Solution

Phototherapeutic needle patches with microneedles featuring concave light grooves along their length, formed using laser processing, to facilitate rapid drug delivery and deep light penetration, enhancing the therapeutic effect by combining medication and phototherapy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If microneedles are used to deliver drugs through skin, then drug delivery speed is improved, but light penetration depth deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrug delivery speedVSAvoidlight penetration depth

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The microneedle is segmented by forming light grooves along its length, creating multiple channels that allow light to penetrate deeper into the skin while the needle tip remains intact for drug delivery. This segmentation enables simultaneous optimization of both drug delivery and light penetration functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention adds an optical dimension to the microneedle structure by incorporating light grooves, transforming it from a purely mechanical drug delivery device into a dual-function device that also guides light along its length, enabling phototherapy at deeper tissue levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If microneedles are applied for a short time to reduce pain, then patient comfort is improved, but drug penetration time deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovepainVSAvoiddrug penetration time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The microneedle is pre-filled with drug solution in its hollow interior before application, allowing immediate drug delivery upon skin penetration without requiring prolonged application time. This preliminary preparation enables rapid drug release while maintaining short application duration for patient comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If light grooves are formed in microneedles to enable deep light penetration, then phototherapy effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing complexity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephototherapy effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The light grooves are formed by controlling laser processing parameters such as power, speed, and pulse duration to melt and remove material precisely along the needle length. By optimizing these parameters, complex grooves can be created with a single manufacturing step, minimizing added complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

Traditional mechanical drilling or milling methods are replaced with laser processing to form light grooves, enabling more precise and flexible groove geometries without requiring complex tooling or multiple manufacturing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The patches enable rapid drug penetration and increased light penetration into skin tissues, maximizing therapeutic outcomes by using microneedles with light grooves as optical paths for phototherapy.

Implementation Method 1

one end of the microneedle configured to deliver a drug through stratum corneum of the skin to inner tissues of the skin

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPenetration:

Implementation Method 2

light grooves in a concave shape disposed along a length direction of the microneedle in such a manner that therapeutic light radiated from a light source for phototherapy easily penetrates into the skin along the microneedle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight penetration:

Implementation Method 3

The light grooves may be formed by grooving the microneedle in a thickness direction by using laser processing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLaser processing: Laser

Implementation Method 4

The light grooves may include protrusions protruding from both sides of the light grooves and formed due to solidification of a metal material melted in vicinity of the light grooves during the laser processing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Data Source

PatentUS11766548B2Phototherapeutic needle patches and methods of manufacturing the same

Publication Date: 2023.09.26 KOREA INST OF SCI & TECH

AI summary

Provided are phototherapeutic needle patches usable for phototherapy by using needle patches capable of injecting drugs or cosmetic substances to patients, and methods of manufacturing the same. A phototherapeutic needle patch may include a patch body attachable to skin of a patient, at least one microneedle protruding from the patch body, one end of the microneedle configured to deliver a drug through stratum corneum of the skin to inner tissues of the skin, and light grooves formed in a concave shape along a length direction of the microneedle in such a manner that therapeutic light radiated from a light source for phototherapy easily penetrates into the skin along the microneedle.