Mechanical strengthening of fiberoptic microneedles using an elastomeric support
Abstract
Microneedles made from silica fiberoptics permit transmission and collection of light, which is an important functional advantage over metal or silicon microneedles. This added functionality may enhance or even enable new percutaneous light‐based clinical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Micron‐diameter fiberoptic microneedles, created from solid fibers capable of light emission and detection, are designed to penetrate several millimeters into tissue while minimizing tissue invasion and disruption. The mechanical strength (critical buckling force) of high aspect ratio (length to diameter) microneedles is a potential problem, which has motivated our invention of an elastomeric support device. In this study, we have tested our hypothesis that embedding the microneedles in an elastomeric support medium may increase microneedle critical buckling force.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 17, 2012
- Source ID
- 10.1002/lsm.22026
Entities
People
- Christopher G. Rylander
- Mehmet A. Kosoglu
- R. Lyle Hood
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems