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International Journal of Bioprinting Unique characteristics of 3D-printed microneedles

Figure 6. Unique advantages of 3D-printed microneedles. (A) Hollow surgical microneedle designed for perilymph sampling. Reproduced with permission
from ref. (Copyright © 2021, Elsevier). (B) Hollow microneedles with a microfluidic structure. Reproduced with permission from ref. (Copyright ©
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2019, AIP Publishing). (C) Microneedles with mushroom-shaped tips. Reproduced with permission from ref. (Copyright © 2022, American Chemical
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Society). (D) Microneedles with groove tip. Reproduced with permission from ref. (Copyright © 2023, Elsevier).
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Table 4. Comparison between traditional method and 3D printing for microneedle manufacturing
Method Shape Structure Fabrication Environment Ref.

Traditional Cylindric, cone, Unable to effectively The processing steps are A clean room is 33,150-155
manufacturing pyramid, hollow, snake fabricate features of different complex and numerous, generally required
fang, arrowhead length scale with a single many of which require for implementing
method manual operation; microengineering
Processing parameters often techniques
require multiple rounds of
fine tuning
3D printing Cylindric, cone, Capable of integrated Simple operation, easy No special 156-159
pyramid, hollow (more fabrication of a diverse control, and straightforward requirements
complex), arrowhead, range of intricate structures; design process with CAD
mushroom-shaped, for example, combining
grooved shape, spiral, microchannels or
ring-like among other biomimetic microstructures
intricate 3D structures with microneedles

Volume 10 Issue 4 (2024) 71 doi: 10.36922/ijb.1896