Multi-material 3D printed eutectogel microneedle patches integrated with fast customization and tunable drug delivery

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Microneedle patches are promising for transdermal diagnostics and drug delivery.
• Integrating customization, sensing, detection, and drug delivery into microneedles via 3D printing remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile strategy for fabricating multifunctional eutectogel microneedle (EMN) patches using multi-material 3D printing.
• To create smart microneedles with capabilities for wireless monitoring, glucose detection, and controlled drug delivery.

Main Methods:

• Utilized polymerizable deep eutectic solvents (PDES) as printing inks for rapid, one-step fabrication of EMN patches.
• Employed multi-material 3D printing to create stretchable EMN patches with rigid needles and flexible backing layers by adjusting PDES composition.
• Integrated wireless monitoring, colorimetric glucose detection, and controlled transdermal drug delivery functionalities into the EMN system.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated multifunctional eutectogel microneedle (EMN) patches using a facile multi-material 3D printing strategy.
• Demonstrated the rapid fabrication of EMN patches with tunable properties (e.g., stretchability) using PDES inks.
• Validated the smart EMN patches' capability for wireless body movement monitoring, painless colorimetric glucose detection, and controlled transdermal drug delivery.

Conclusions:

• The developed multi-material 3D printing approach enables the rational design and fabrication of advanced, multifunctional microneedle patches.
• This innovative EMN system offers a versatile platform for painless diagnosis, detection, and therapy of various diseases.
• The strategy addresses the challenge of integrating multiple functionalities into microneedle devices for enhanced transdermal applications.