Microneedle Assembly Liquid Crystalline Polymer Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vaccine delivery methods, such as injections and oral administration, are painful, invasive, and result in inconsistent vaccine distribution due to the challenges of microneedle manufacturing and alignment, leading to inefficient transdermal delivery.
Innovation Solution
A microneedle assembly with an array of microneedles arranged in a predetermined geometric pattern, made from a polymer composition containing liquid crystalline polymers, which ensures high physical alignment and consistent size and shape, facilitating improved transdermal vaccine delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If microneedles are manufactured with small size for transdermal delivery, then delivery efficiency is improved, but manufacturing consistency and alignment are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-aligning microneedles in a mold cavity before solidification. The microneedles are positioned in predetermined geometric patterns within the mold, ensuring proper alignment is established before the material sets. This preliminary positioning resolves the alignment issue that would otherwise occur with small-scale manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a mold cavity as a template or copy to replicate the predetermined geometric pattern across multiple microneedles. The mold cavity defines the exact position, orientation, and spacing of each microneedle, ensuring consistent replication of the desired pattern throughout the array, thereby solving the manufacturing precision challenge.
2Speed
If injection method is used for vaccine delivery, then delivery speed is improved, but pain and invasiveness are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the vaccine delivery function into multiple microneedles arranged in an array, where each microneedle delivers a portion of the vaccine simultaneously. This segmentation allows for faster overall delivery (maintaining speed) while using finer, less invasive individual needles (reducing pain and invasiveness) compared to a single large-gauge injection needle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from single-point injection to a two-dimensional array of microneedles. This dimensional change distributes the delivery function across multiple points, enabling simultaneous delivery that maintains speed while reducing the invasiveness of each individual needle point.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If oral delivery is used for vaccine administration, then invasiveness is reduced, but absorption consistency is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/digestive system (oral delivery through the digestive tract) with a direct transdermal delivery system. This substitution bypasses the variable absorption environment of the digestive system, providing consistent and predictable vaccine delivery while maintaining minimal invasiveness through the use of microneedles.
4Reliability
If infusion therapy is used for direct vaccine delivery, then delivery control is improved, but device complexity and infection risk are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing a microneedle array that can be directly applied to the skin without requiring external pumps, tubing, or complex infusion equipment. The microneedles themselves perform the delivery function, eliminating the need for additional devices and reducing both complexity and infection risk while maintaining reliable delivery control.
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 microneedle assembly achieves consistent and efficient vaccine delivery across the dermal barrier with controlled alignment and size, reducing pain and invasiveness, and providing a steady-state delivery of vaccines.
Implementation Method 1
The tip, the base, or a combination thereof include a polymer composition containing a liquid crystalline polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A microneedle assembly that is capable of transdermal delivery of a drug compound, such as a vaccine, (e.g., vaccine) across a dermal barrier of a subject (e.g., human), and/or detecting the presence of an analyte in the subject is provided. The microneedle assembly comprises a plurality of microneedles arranged on a support that each contain a tip and base, one or both of which are formed from a polymer composition that includes a liquid crystalline polymer. By selectively controlling the specific components of the polymer composition, as well as their relative concentration, the resulting microneedles may exhibit a high degree of physical alignment, which can help ensure better performance during use of the microneedle assembly.