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In Vivo, In Situ Imaging of Microneedle Insertion into the Skin of Human Volunteers Using Optical Coherence Tomography

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ABSTRACT

Purpose

To gather sub-surface in situ images of microneedle-treated human skin, in vivo, using optical coherence tomography (OCT). This is the first study to utilise OCT to investigate the architectural changes that are induced in skin following microneedle application.

Methods

Steel, silicon and polymer microneedle devices, with different microneedle arrangements and morphologies, were applied to two anatomical sites in human volunteers following appropriate ethical approval. A state-of-the-art ultrahigh resolution OCT imaging system operating at 800 nm wavelength and <3 µm effective axial resolution was used to visualise the microneedle-treated area during insertion and/or following removal of the device, without any tissue processing.

Results

Transverse images of a microneedle device, in situ, were captured by the OCT system and suggest that the stratified skin tissue is compressed during microneedle application. Following removal of the device, the created microchannels collapse within the in vivo environment and, therefore, for all studied devices, microconduit dimensions are markedly smaller than the microneedle dimensions.

Conclusions

Microchannels created in the upper skin layers by microneedles are less invasive than previous histology predicts. OCT has the potential to play a highly influential role in the future development of microneedle devices and other transdermal delivery systems.

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Abbreviations

OCT:

Optical coherence tomography

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to acknowledge the support of Jessika Weingast from the Division of General Dermatology at the Department of Dermatology of the Medical University of Vienna. This research was supported in part by the BBSRC, Cardiff University, FP6-IST-NMP-2 STREPT (017128, NanoUB), DTI grant (OMICRON), AMR grant (AP1110), European Union project FUN OCT (FP7 HEALTH, contract no. 201880) and CARL ZEISS Meditec Inc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gene Delivery Research Group, Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK

    Siôn A. Coulman, James C. Birchall & Marc Pearton

  2. Center of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria

    Bernd Hofer, Wolfgang Drexler & Boris Považay

  3. School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4LU, UK

    Aneesh Alex, Bernd Hofer, Wolfgang Drexler & Boris Považay

  4. Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Lee Maltings, Cork, Ireland

    Conor O’Mahony

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  1. Siôn A. Coulman
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Correspondence to Siôn A. Coulman.

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Coulman, S.A., Birchall, J.C., Alex, A. et al. In Vivo, In Situ Imaging of Microneedle Insertion into the Skin of Human Volunteers Using Optical Coherence Tomography. Pharm Res 28, 66–81 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-010-0167-x

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