Microneedles, currently a hot topic in various medical device and bioengineering fields, can be used for drug delivery or diagnostics. One of the best ways to produce them is the multi-photon polymerization technique which enables the production of precise and firm microneedles. Even more complex shapes of polymeric needles can be obtained by maintaining the high sharpness of the needle tips. Various polymeric materials can be used for microneedle fabrication depending on the exact application. In most cases, the structures can easily be replicated by using various molding techniques.
Multi-photon polymerization (MPP) enables the production of precise and strong microlenses and microneedles for visualization, filtering, and drug delivery. MPP can also be combined with other fabrication techniques such as selective laser etching to create hybrid microfabricated systems, like glass and polymer structures.
Multiphoton-polymerization (MPP) is a technology that enables the production of arbitrary shape polymeric structures within submicrometric resolution. First, a photoresist sample is prepared by drop-casting polymer material mixed with a photoinitiator on the glass slide and then pre-baking.
A feasibility study is composed of several steps, including researching methods for fabricating micro-structures, fabricating a micro-structure prototype, measuring and aligning the prototype with technical requirements, and finally preparing a study report.