Description of the activity
New biomedical devices have arisen when technologies for MEMS and NEMS systems have met medical and biological issues. Microneedles (MNs) based devices are theranostic biomedical devices that allow the monitoring of health parameters and the transdermal controlled administration of drugs in a painless way. MNs are the perfect interface between our body and complex electronic and microfluidic devices. In fact, they are able to overcome our natural barrier constituted by the stratum corneum without reaching the nerve endings, in order to allow a complete and painless interaction with interstitial fluids. Through them it is possible to administer water-soluble or large drugs, whose transdermal passage is normally inhibited by ceramides and the lipid barrier. In addition, the hollow MNs allow the extraction and analysis of interstitial fluids and the rapid administration of drugs. In our laboratories, in collaboration with Materias, an extremely efficient and versatile manufacturing technique for NM devices was developed.
Involved personnel
P. Dardano | L. De Stefano | I. Rea | S. Dello Iacono
National and International Collaborations
National and International Collaborations:
Materias s.r.l.
IBSA INSTITUTE BIOCHIMIQUE SA GROUP
Dompé farmaceutici S.p.A.
Instrumentation/facilities
Maskaligner, photolithography, FESEM, AFM