This dissertation deals with the design and prototype construction of a microneedle drug
delivery apparatus. The purpose of the study is to design and offer a sustainable
mechanism that can be manufactured, assembled, and utilized as easily and quickly as
possible, minimizing the time and expense of the supply chain. This apparatus must
become a realistic alternative method of providing a vaccine or drug in harsh
circumstances, including humanitarian disasters or a lack of medical and nursing staff,
something that is frequently observed in undeveloped countries. Simultaneously, with
the use of microneedles, to be able to alleviate pain in the patient/user, who can benefit
from the numerous advantages offered by them during administration.
To carry out the task, it was necessary to first study the theoretical background for the
various types of microneedles as well as the manufacturing techniques used. The
mechanism under investigation involves the use of "Hollow Microneedles," which are
internally perforated and are capable of delivering greater quantities of the active
substance to the organism. The study for the development of this apparatus was
conducted based on the state of the art of devices already built with the use of this type
of microneedles, the function requirements, and finally, the technological and
construction possibilities that we had. In terms of development, initially, designs of
several concepts-ideas were created, that could be used to develop the desired
application. After comparing the methods and possible alternatives, we were led to a
final prototype which was designed with the appropriate details. The construction
method which was chosen and applied was Additive Manufacturing, where the
appropriate design proposals for the method were applied. The device was then built
using a combination of custom-designed parts and conventional components such as
screws in order to proceed to the last stage of experiments.
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