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Porous Polymer Microneedles with Superhydrophilic Surface for Rapid Fluid Transport

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Abstract

Microneedles are extensively used in the field of drug deliveries and disease treatment. Cellulose porous microneedles were fabricated using the cellulose acetate phase separation method followed by a deacetylation process. The developed cellulose microneedles were tested for porosity, mechanical strength, penetration, and surface hydrophobicity. The porosity of cellulose microneedles increased by approximately 15%, while the Young’s modulus, indicative of mechanical strength, increased by approximately 30% compared with cellulose acetate microneedles before the deacetylation process. The cellulose microneedles easily penetrated the sample skin, making it a potential tool for transdermal drug delivery. The developed cellulose microneedles exhibited enhanced hydrophilicity in comparison to cellulose acetate microneedles. The increased hydrophilicity of the developed microneedles positions them as promising tools for efficient interstitial fluid extraction. These characteristics not only make them suitable for drug delivery but also highlights their potential as biosensors.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grants funded by the Korean Government (MSIT) (No. 2020R1C1C1013487 and 2022R1C1C1003711).

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, 50 Daehak-ro, Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do, 27469, Republic of Korea

    Sungchan Yun, Yoobin Choi, Subi Choi & WooSeok Choi

  2. Department of Mechanical and Robotics Engineering, Andong National University, Kyungbuk, 36729, Republic of Korea

    Taechang An

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Yun, S., Choi, Y., Choi, S. et al. Porous Polymer Microneedles with Superhydrophilic Surface for Rapid Fluid Transport. Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-024-00999-5

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