Toward Self-Powered Wearable Adhesive Skin Patch with Bendable Microneedle Array for Transdermal Drug Delivery

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Transdermal drug delivery offers a minimally invasive alternative to traditional methods.
• Existing microneedle patches face challenges with needle breakage and adhesion.
• Need for self-powered wearable devices for enhanced functionality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced wearable skin patch for transdermal drug delivery.
• To address microneedle breakage and improve skin adhesion.
• To integrate a self-powering mechanism for future active components.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a wearable patch with bendable microneedle array.
• Utilizing a novel dry adhesive for conformal skin attachment.
• Incorporation of a triboelectric energy harvester (TEH) for power generation.

Main Results:

• The bendable microneedles successfully mitigated the issue of needle breakage.
• The dry adhesive ensured conformal attachment to the skin surface.
• The TEH demonstrated power generation capabilities on both flat and jointed skin areas.

Conclusions:

• The developed wearable skin patch offers a promising solution for transdermal drug delivery.
• The combination of bendable microneedles, dry adhesive, and TEH enhances patch performance and potential.
• This technology paves the way for self-powered, integrated wearable drug delivery systems.