4D printing creates tiny needles inspired by parasites that could replace hypodermic needles
Painful hypodermic needles may not be needed in the future to give shots, inject drugs and get blood samples.
With 4D printing, Rutgers engineers have created tiny needles that mimic parasites that attach to skin and could replace hypodermic needles, according to a study in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
While 3D printing builds objects layer by layer, 4D goes further with smart materials that are programmed to change shape after printing. Time is the fourth dimension that allows materials to morph into new shapes.
“We think our 4D-printed microneedle array will allow for more robust and sustained use of minimally invasive, pain-free and easy-to-use microneedles for delivering drugs, healing wounds, biosensing and other soft tissue applications,” said senior author Howon Lee, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the School of Engineering at Rutgers University–New Brunswick.
Hypodermic needles are widely used in hospitals and labs to extract blood and inject drugs, causing pain, scarring skin and posing an infection risk. People with diabetes often take blood samples multiple times a day with needles to monitor blood sugar levels.
Microneedles (miniaturized needles) are gaining attention because they are short, thin and minimally invasive, reduce pain and the risk of infection and are easy-to-use. But their weak adhesion to tissues is a major challenge for controlled drug delivery over the long run or for biosensing, which involves using a device to detect DNA, enzymes, antibodies and other health indicators.
In nature, some insects and other organisms have developed microscopic features that adhere to tissue, such as the microhooks of parasites, barbed stingers of honeybees and scaled quills of porcupines. Inspired by these examples, Rutgers engineers developed a microneedle that interlocks with tissue when inserted, enhancing adhesion. They combined a micro 3D-printing technique and a 4D-printing approach to create backward-facing barbs on a microneedle.
Using chicken muscle tissue as a model, the researchers showed that tissue adhesion with their microneedle is 18 times stronger than with a barbless microneedle. Their creation outperforms previously reported examples, resulting in more stable and robust drug delivery, collection of bio-fluids and biosensing, the study says.
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
4D-printed microneedle array
- Skin Care News
3D-Printed Skin Closes Wounds and Contains Hair ... Jan. 30, 2024 — A joint research team has developed a stretchable and adhesive microneedle sensor that can be attached to the skin and stably ...
- 4D Printed robot dances and crawls via temperature shifts (w/video)
As reported in a paper published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials ("4D Printed Self-Sustained Soft Crawling Machines Fueled by Constant Thermal Field"), they have created a 4D printed soft ...
- Jacek Krywko
He also coordinated projects contracted by ESA aimed at developing 3D printable compliant mechanisms and electrically triggered 4D printed actuators for space. Based in Olsztyn, Poland ...
- Research team develops sweat-resistant wearable robot sensor
the recently developed technology is expected to allow long-term and high-quality EMG measurements as it uses a stretchable and adhesive conducting substrate integrated with microneedle arrays ...
- 4D-printed breast implants, you say? But only for cancer patients
In what they claim is a world-first, researchers at the United Kingdom's Queen's University Belfast (QUB) have produced 4D printed chemotherapeutic implants to help breast cancer patients.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
4D-printed microneedle array
[google_news title=”” keyword=”4D-printed microneedle array” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
4D printing
- Ole Miss professor receives NSF grant for work on 4D printing
A University of Mississippi engineering professor has won the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award for early career researchers for his upcoming work in 4D printing.
- UM mechanical engineering professor earns NSF CAREER Award
A University of Mississippi engineering professor has won the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award for early career researchers for his upcoming work in 4D printing. The National ...
- Mechanical Engineering Professor Receives NSF CAREER Award
The National Science Foundation awarded Yiwei Han, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, with an NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program grant. The award allots more than $576,000 toward ...
- How 4D printing brings a temporal dimension to additive manufacturing
In a world where flexibility and adaptability are the watchwords of transformation, 4D printing is the kind of technology that could offer new solutions. This additive manufacturing technique prod ...
- Global 3D and 4D Technology Market Outlook Report to 2029: Ongoing Advancements and Increasing Research Initiatives to Commercialize 4D Printing
Dublin, March 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global 3D and 4D Technology Market by Solution Type (3D & 4D Input Devices, 3D and 4D Imaging Solutions, 3D Output Devices), End-use Application (3D ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
4D printing
[google_news title=”” keyword=”4D printing” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]