Bioadhesive microneedle patches for tissue sealing.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Medical Devices
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Effective soft tissue sealing is crucial for wound closure, leakage prevention, and promoting healing in clinical settings.
• Current tissue sealants face limitations, including poor adhesion, rapid degradation, and potential toxicity, hindering widespread clinical adoption.
• Hydrogels offer biocompatibility but weak adhesion, while oxidized cellulose patches can cause postoperative complications due to poor absorption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel bioadhesive microneedle patch system for enhanced soft tissue sealing.
• To investigate the impact of different material compositions on the performance of microneedle patches for tissue adhesion and sealing.
• To compare the efficacy of the developed microneedle patches against commercial oxidized cellulose patches in a preclinical model.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and characterization of microneedle patches using materials such as pullulan, chitosan, Carbopol, and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid).
• Evaluation of microneedle patch properties including fabrication, physical/mechanical characteristics, in vitro cytotoxicity, and in vivo biocompatibility.
• Assessment of sealing and adhesion capabilities, focusing on the Carbopol/chitosan combination patch.
• In vivo testing using a rat liver bleeding model to compare performance against oxidized cellulose patches.

Main Results:

• Microneedle patches demonstrated strong tissue fixation via physical interlocking and improved adhesion and sealing times due to swelling properties.
• The Carbopol needle and chitosan pedestal combination patch exhibited superior sealing and adhesion performance.
• Carbopol/chitosan patches significantly reduced bleeding and blood loss in a rat liver model compared to oxidized cellulose patches.
• The microneedle patches were applied quickly, painlessly, and showed good biocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• Bioadhesive microneedle patches represent a promising platform for effective and minimally invasive soft tissue sealing.
• The Carbopol/chitosan microneedle patch demonstrated superior performance in adhesion and hemostasis.
• This novel approach offers a cost-effective, user-friendly alternative to existing tissue sealants, requiring less specialized medical expertise and equipment.