Pectin-Alginate Needle for Biocompatible Skin Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing needle devices for percutaneous drug administration lack materials with low load on living bodies and effective skin penetration capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A needle device with a projecting portion made from a material blend of pectin and alginate, providing enhanced mechanical strength and biocompatibility, and a support portion with flexibility for precise skin piercing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a needle device is made from biocompatible materials like chitin or chitosan, then the material has low load on living bodies, but the mechanical strength and skin penetration capability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining pectin and alginate in specific ratios (0.5:99.5 to 99.5:0.5) to create a needle device that achieves both biocompatibility and sufficient mechanical strength. The composite structure allows the needle to penetrate skin effectively while maintaining low toxicity and biodegradability, resolving the contradiction between material safety and functional performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by optimizing the mixing ratio of pectin and alginate, as well as controlling the molecular weight and concentration of the coating solution. By adjusting these parameters, the needle device achieves the desired balance between mechanical strength for skin penetration and biocompatibility for low load on living bodies.
2Reliability
If the projecting portion is made from a single biocompatible material, then the material is biodegradable and safe, but the needle cannot form holes in the skin effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite coating of pectin and alginate on the needle surface, where the combination of these two materials provides both the biodegradability/safety required for medical applications and the mechanical properties needed for effective skin penetration and hole formation.
3Strength
If the needle device uses conventional materials for strength, then skin penetration is effective, but the material has adverse influence on human bodies if left in the body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional non-biodegradable materials with a composite of pectin and alginate, which provides sufficient strength for skin penetration while being biodegradable and non-toxic, eliminating adverse effects if the needle remains in the body.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle device is designed as a disposable, biodegradable product that naturally breaks down in the body after use, eliminating the need for removal and avoiding long-term adverse effects. The pectin-alginate composite ensures the needle is strong enough for its intended function but then safely degrades.
Data Source
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AI summary
A needle device is provided, which includes a support portion (23) and a projecting portion (22) extended from the support portion. The projecting portion is constituted of a material containing pectin and an alginate.