Silicon microneedles array with biodegradable tips for transdermal drug delivery

This paper presents the fabrication process, characterization results and basic functionality of silicon microneedles array with biodegradable tips. In order to avoid the main problems related to silicon microneedles: broking of the top part of the needles inside the skin, a simple solution can be fabrication of microneedles array with biodegradable tips. The silicon microneedles array was fabricated by using reactive ion etching while the biodegradable tips were performed using and anodization process that generates selectively porous silicon only on the top part of the skin. The paper presents also the results of in vitro release of calcein using microneedles array with biodegradable tips.