Octopus-Inspired Suction Cup Patch for Power-Free Transdermal Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional transdermal drug delivery technologies face challenges such as the need for an external power source, skin irritation, bacterial infection risks, and insufficient skin adhesion, particularly in inducing localized negative pressure for enhanced drug delivery.
Innovation Solution
A negative pressure stimulation adhesive skin patch with an embossed octopus-inspired suction structure, featuring a flexible base and deformable adhesive cups, which induces localized negative pressure without an external power source, ensuring stable attachment and detachment on dry or moist skin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If chemical adhesive materials are used to ensure close contact between the drug delivery material and the skin interface, then adhesion performance is improved, but skin irritation and side effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical adhesive mechanisms with a mechanical suction cup structure that creates negative pressure to adhere to the skin. This mechanical approach eliminates the need for chemical adhesives, thereby maintaining strong adhesion performance while avoiding skin irritation and allergic reactions associated with chemical materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction cup structure utilizes the skin's own properties (surface tension, moisture) to create and maintain the negative pressure seal. The system serves itself by using the skin's natural characteristics to achieve adhesion without requiring external chemical substances, thereby eliminating harmful effects while maintaining functional performance.
2Productivity
If strong magnetic pressure is applied to induce micro-perforations in the skin layer, then drug delivery efficiency is improved, but skin irritation increases and prolonged attachment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the strong magnetic pressure mechanism with a gentle negative pressure suction cup structure. This substitution maintains the ability to enhance drug delivery through the skin while using much milder forces that do not cause skin irritation or require prolonged attachment times.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from strong positive magnetic pressure to controlled negative pressure. This parameter transformation allows the system to achieve sufficient drug delivery enhancement through the skin while maintaining pressure levels that are comfortable for the user and do not cause skin irritation.
3Productivity
If near-infrared photothermal effects are used to induce partial etching of the skin layer, then drug delivery efficiency is improved, but secondary skin damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal photothermal etching mechanism with a mechanical negative pressure suction cup structure. This substitution achieves enhanced drug delivery through the skin without the thermal damage, burns, or secondary skin damage caused by near-infrared photothermal effects.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using harmful thermal energy to penetrate the skin barrier, the patent converts the skin's natural surface tension and moisture into beneficial forces that create the suction cup seal. This transforms a potentially harmful approach (thermal etching) into a safe and effective mechanism (negative pressure adhesion) that achieves the same drug delivery enhancement without skin damage.
4Productivity
If a suction cup structure is used to induce pressure after drug injection, then drug delivery is enhanced, but device complexity increases due to the vacuum pump
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex vacuum pump component from the system, retaining only the essential suction cup structure. This simplification eliminates the need for external power sources and complex mechanical devices while maintaining the ability to enhance drug delivery through negative pressure adhesion to the skin.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction cup structure creates and maintains negative pressure autonomously without requiring external vacuum pumps or power sources. The system serves itself by utilizing the skin's natural properties to generate and sustain the necessary pressure differential, thereby eliminating device complexity while maintaining drug delivery enhancement functionality.
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
Enhances transdermal delivery efficiency by minimizing skin irritation and side effects, improving adhesive performance, and maintaining negative pressure for broader coverage, suitable for drug delivery and medical patches.
Implementation Method 1
a negative pressure stimulation adhesive skin patch that locally induces negative pressure to improve transdermal delivery efficiency
Implementation Method 2
an embossed octopus-inspired suction structure, featuring a flexible base and deformable adhesive cups
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of the present invention provides a skin adhesive patch for negative pressure stimulation and a manufacturing method therefor. The skin adhesive patch mimics an embossed octopus suction plate-like adhesive structure that can be stably attached and detached even when skin is dry or in an environment in which moisture is present. The skin adhesive patch is provided with an adhesive cup part having a curvature that can freely deform so that an adhesive cup can cover a larger area when attached to the skin. Therefore, when adhering to the skin, the skin adhesive patch locally induces negative pressure on the skin, thereby increasing the delivery efficiency of active ingredients via the skin without an external power source.