与FFF 3D打印机研究人员德克萨斯大学达拉斯大学（UT Dallas）现在采用了一种新的低成本方法来制造微对阵列 - 一种用于给药药物的小注射器抗斑块。
该方法将市售的台式机3D打印机与化学蚀刻技术相结合。它使得在目前无法使用的一系列医疗材料中创建超细显微镜销高分辨率3D打印方法。
Pain-free jabs
Microneedle patches alleviate the pain and safety risks associated with the traditional method of delivering drugs using a syringe. They also have a longer shelf life than drugs made as injectable liquids. For these reasons, microneedles have become an integral part of new medical research, including efforts atGeorgia Institute of Technology和Emory Universityto use the arrays as an alternative to flu vaccinations.
The primary breakthrough in the UT Dallas research is the manufacture of skin-piercing microneedles using an FDA approved biomaterial that dissolves over time.
Achieving these parameters at a low-cost would have been incredibly challenging with any other 3D printing technique.
Applying commercial FFF in medicine
The UT Dallas team’s manufacturing method is a five step process that starts with FFF using a Lulzbot TAZ 5 3D printer. It takes 40 minutes on average to make a batch of 15 microneedle arrays.
然后将阵列浸入化学溶液中9小时，将表面蚀刻到表面，并将微针雕刻到1至55μm宽的细点。
In the penulitmate step, the microneedles are washed. Then they can be loaded with a drug for application in the skin.
在这种情况下，UT达拉斯证明了使用3D印刷的mironeedle斑块在皮肤下施加荧光染料的能力。
A promising alternative in medicine
In other research, 3D printing has presented the potential for creating新的治疗癌症方法， 和通过一次疫苗控制多种药物的释放。
In summary of UT Dallas’ study, conclusions state, “we have developed a new chemical etching method that improves the feature size resolution of FDM printed materials allowing for the fabrication of biocompatible [microneedles] capable of penetrating the outer layers of skin and delivering a model therapeutic agent.”
Additionally, “Using our etching method […] biocompatible polyesters—which currently cannot be used with higher resolution printing techniques such as SLA— could now be applied in [microneedle] fabrication.”
“Biodegradable 3D Printed Polymer Microneedles for Transdermal Drug Delivery”由Michael A. Luzuriaga，Danielle R. Berry，John C. Reagan，Ronald A. Smaldone和Jeremiah J. Gassensmith合着。可以在皇家化学数据存储库Chemrxiv中在线访问完整论文。
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Featured image shows (a,c) 3D printed and (b, d) chemically etched microneedle arrays. Image via ChemRxiv
