Microneedle Tip Coating via Masking Film and Double-Layer Mold
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microneedle manufacturing methods face challenges in ensuring effective delivery of target materials into the skin, as many microneedles fail to penetrate the skin properly and coated materials often remain undissolved, leading to inefficiencies in skin permeability and bioavailability.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a double-layered microneedle mold structure with a masking film is used to accurately coat the needle tip, where the first layer is removed after curing, allowing precise coating only on the tip, reducing defect rates and enhancing skin insertion and dissolution of the coating material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If microneedles are pressed by hand and inserted into skin, then the microneedle structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but many microneedles are not inserted into skin properly and target material penetration is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-coating the microneedle tip with target material before insertion, and using a masking film to pre-position the coating area. This ensures that the coating is already in place on the needle tip before the microneedle is inserted into the skin, eliminating the need for post-insertion coating application and ensuring precise material delivery to the intended location.
2Manufacturing precision
If coating material is applied to the entire microneedle surface, then the coating application is simple, but the target material remains outside the skin and is not supplied to skin effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by coating only the tip portion of the microneedle with target material while leaving the shaft uncoated. The masking film is positioned to expose only the tip area, allowing coating material to be applied selectively to the needle tip. This ensures that the target material is concentrated at the insertion point and delivered directly into the skin, rather than remaining on the external surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The masking film serves as an intermediary tool that facilitates precise localized coating. By positioning the masking film over the microneedle mold, it acts as a template that guides the coating process, allowing the coating material to be applied only to the exposed tip area while protecting the shaft from coating. This intermediary enables precise coating localization without requiring complex coating equipment.
3Reliability
If coating material is applied to the microneedle, then the target material delivery potential is improved, but the coating material is not sufficiently dissolved and remains outside the skin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the physical and chemical parameters of the coating material and the microneedle base material to ensure proper dissolution. The coating material is selected to have appropriate solubility characteristics that allow it to dissolve rapidly upon contact with skin moisture or bodily fluids at the insertion site. The microneedle shaft material is chosen to maintain structural integrity during insertion while the tip coating material dissolves to release the target substance.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a microneedle containing a coating part on a needle tip and an apparatus used for the method. When a microneedle is manufactured using the coating method and apparatus according to the present disclosure, a coating part in which a target material is impregnated can be easily inserted into skin and effective dissolution is possible. Further, the target material is allowed to show excellent skin permeability with the dissolution of the coating part of the microneedle manufactured according to the present disclosure, thereby a quantitative amount of target material can be effectively delivered into the skin.