Abstract
3D printing is an emerging technology aiming towards personalized drug delivery, among many other applications. Microneedles (MN) are a viable method for transdermal drug delivery that is becoming more popular for delivery through the skin. However, there is a need for a faster fabrication process with potential for easily exploring different geometries of MNs. In the current study, a digital light processing (DLP) method of 3D printing for fabrication of hollow MN arrays using commercial UV curable resin was proposed. Print quality was optimised by assessing the effect of print angle on needle geometries. Mechanical testing of MN arrays was conducted using a texture analyser. Angled prints were found to produce prints with geometries closer to the CAD designs. Curing times were found to affect the mechanical strength of MNs, with arrays not breaking when subjected to 300 N of force but were bent. Overall, DLP process produced hollow MNs with good mechanical strength and depicts a viable, quick, and efficient method for the fabrication of hollow MN arrays.
Highlights
The skin is the largest organ in the human body and covers an area of ~1.8 m2 in the average person [1]
This study has presented a novel approach to the digital light processing (DLP) printing of hollow MN arrays
MNs sented good mechanical strength and resistance to compression as no fracture was present presented good mechanical strength and resistance to compression as no fracture was during mechanical testing
Summary
The skin is the largest organ in the human body and covers an area of ~1.8 m2 in the average person [1]. Hollow MNs can be fabricated through a range of techniques including micromoulding and micromachining [11] These processes can often be time consuming and require multiple fabrication steps. DLP printers can print to the micron scale, allowing it to be a suitable method for production of MNs. hollow MNs have been printed successfully in previous studies using SLA, we hope to explore the DLP technique in more detail due to its ability to rapidly manufacture high-resolution prints at faster times than SLA. Hollow MNs have been printed successfully in previous studies using SLA, we hope to explore the DLP technique in more detail due to its ability to rapidly manufacture high-resolution prints at faster times than SLA This manuscript explores the optimisation of design, printing parameters, and postprinting steps to maximise the printing quality and sharpness of MN arrays. We will explore the printability of three resin-based 3DP techniques (DLP, SLA, UV LCD), which to the best of authors knowledge, is the first time this comparison has been reported in literature
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