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Microinfusion Using Hollow Microneedles

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Purpose

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of experimental parameters on microinfusion through hollow microneedles into skin to optimize drug delivery protocols and identify rate-limiting barriers to flow.

Methods

Glass microneedles were inserted to a depth of 720–1080 μm into human cadaver skin to microinfuse sulforhodamine solution at constant pressure. Flow rate was determined as a function of experimental parameters, such as microneedle insertion and retraction distance, infusion pressure, microneedle tip geometry, presence of hyaluronidase, and time.

Results

Single microneedles inserted into skin without retraction were able to infuse sulforhodamine solution into the skin at flow rates of 15–96 μl/h. Partial retraction of microneedles increased flow rate up to 11.6-fold. Infusion flow rate was also increased by greater insertion depth, larger infusion pressure, use of a beveled microneedle tip, and the presence of hyaluronidase such that flow rates ranging from 21 to 1130 μl/h were achieved. These effects can be explained by removing or overcoming the large flow resistance imposed by dense dermal tissue, compressed during microneedle insertion, which blocks flow from the needle tip.

Conclusions

By partially retracting microneedles after insertion and other methods to overcome flow resistance of dense dermal tissue, protocols can be designed for hollow microneedles to microinfuse fluid at therapeutically relevant rates.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Tracey Couse, Harvinder Gill, Daniel Hallow, Bradley Parker, and Vladimir Zarnitsyn for helpful technical discussions. This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Center for Drug Design, Development and Delivery, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA

    Wijaya Martanto, Jason S. Moore, Osama Kashlan, Rachna Kamath, Ping M. Wang & Mark R. Prausnitz

  2. Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA

    Jessica M. O'Neal & Mark R. Prausnitz

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  1. Wijaya Martanto
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  2. Jason S. Moore
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  3. Osama Kashlan
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  4. Rachna Kamath
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  5. Ping M. Wang
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  6. Jessica M. O'Neal
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  7. Mark R. Prausnitz
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Correspondence to Mark R. Prausnitz.

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Martanto, W., Moore, J.S., Kashlan, O. et al. Microinfusion Using Hollow Microneedles. Pharm Res 23, 104–113 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-005-8498-8

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