A Novel Ultrafine Needle (UN) for Innocuous and Efficient Subcutaneous Insulin Delivery. (3rd November 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Cheng Guo; Ma, Yonghao; Huh, Inyoung; Lahiji, Shayan Fakhraei; Lee, Sang‐Guk; Jung, Hyungil
• Is Part Of: Advanced functional materials. Volume 27:Number 2(2017)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2016-11-03
• Subjects: droplet stretching -- minimally invasive -- subcutaneous insulin delivery -- ultrafine needles; Materials -- Periodicals; Chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201603228
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1616-301X

Abstract

Abstract : Subcutaneous (SC) insulin injection has been demonstrated to be the most effective method for treatment of diabetes mellitus but is conventionally performed by hypodermic needles, leading to poor management of diabetes because of the pain, needle phobia, and tissue trauma. Identification of a viable, safe, and pain‐free alternative method has been a longstanding challenge in modern health care. Here, the thermoplastic droplet stretching technique is developed to create an ultrahigh‐aspect‐ratio needle mold with simple microstructure control. The optimized ultrafine needle (UN) with 4 mm length, minimized 120 µm outer diameter, and 15° sharp bevel angle is formed via electroplating of a metallic layer on the surface of a needle mold with forcing sharp tip. This novel UN enables minimally invasive 4 mm skin insertion to deliver insulin in the targeted SC layer. The similar relative areas under the curves of insulin concentration within UN and 31G needle in vivo insulin administration indicate that UN can ensure stable insulin absorption for secure blood glucose management. Additionally, the proposed fabrication method may facilitate industrialization and commercialization of the UN, holding great promise for replacement of hypodermic needles and for improvement of quality of life among patients with diabetes. Abstract : A new subcutaneous drug delivery system, ultrafine needle (UN), is invented to perform innocuous and efficient subcutaneous insulin injection. The optimized UN can be obtained directly via a thermoplastic droplet stretching technique with controlled shape. The smaller tissue damage and highly accurate and reproducible subcutaneous insulin delivery via the UN show great potential for the improvement of diabetics' quality of life.