Needle-like structure and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10918844-B2
Application number	US-201514707496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2015
Priority date	Nov 9, 2012
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A needle-like structure includes projections formed in rows on a substrate and extended in a direction, and needle portions formed on each of the projections such that the needle portions are spaced part from one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A needle-like structure, comprising:
a substrate having an X direction and a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction;
a plurality of projections formed in parallel rows on the substrate and extended in the Y direction; and
a plurality of needle portions formed on each of the projections such that each of the needle portions has a side line extending from a top surface of a respective one of the projections in a cross section of the X direction and forming an angle Φ 1 of less than 90° with respect to the top surface of the respective one of the projections in the cross section of the X direction,
wherein each of the projections has the plurality of needle portions formed in a row and a side line extending from a top surface of the substrate in the cross section of the X direction and forming an angle Φ 2 of less than 90° with respect to the top surface of the substrate in the cross section of the X direction, a tip of each of the needle portions extends in a height direction of the projections, the needle portions are spaced part from one another along the direction in which each of the projections is extended, and the projections and needle portions are formed such that each of the needle portions has a height h 1 in a range of from 100 μm to 2,000 μm and that each of the projections has a height h 2 which is not less than 0.2×H and not more than 0.8 H, where H is a sum of the height h 2 and the height h 1 of each needle portion.

2. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the needle portions has a width L 2 in a range of L 3 ×0.6 to L 3 where the width L 2 is a bottom width of each of the needle portions, and the width L 3 is a width of each of the projections on which the needle portions are formed.

3. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate, the projections and the needle portions are made of a material transfer-molded by a replicated plate having a plurality of grooves configured to form the plurality of projections in the parallel rows, and a plurality of recesses configured to form the plurality of needle portions on each of the projections.

4. The needle-like structure according to claim 3 , wherein each of the needle portions has a width L 2 in a range of L 3 ×0.6 to L 3 where the width L 2 is a bottom width of each of the needle portions, and the width L 3 is a width of each of the projections on which the needle portions are formed.

5. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the needle portions has point angles θ 1 and θ 2 , each of which is in a range of from 10° to 70°, where the point angle θ 1 is the point angle in a cross section the Y direction, and the point angle θ 2 in the cross section of the X direction.

6. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a size of not less than 1 cm 2 .

7. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a size of not less than 5 cm.

8. The needle-like structure according to claim 7 , wherein the substrate, the projections and the needle portions are made of a material transfer-molded by a replicated plate having a plurality of grooves configured to form the plurality of projections in the parallel rows, and a plurality of recesses configured to form the plurality of needle portions on each of the projections.

9. The needle-like structure according to claim 7 , wherein each of the needle portions has a width L 2 in a range of L 3 ×0.6 to L 3 where the width L 2 is a bottom width of each of the needle portions, and the width L 3 is a width of each of the projections on which the needle portions are formed.

10. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein the projections, the substrate, and the needle portions are integrally formed of a resin body.

11. The needle-like structure according to claim 2 , wherein each needle portion has point angles θ 1 and θ 2 , each of which is in a range of from 10° to 70°, where the point angle θ 1 is the point angle in a cross section of the Y direction, and the point angle θ 2 in the cross section of the X direction.

12. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the needle portions has a triangular cross section in the X direction.

13. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the needle portions has point angles θ 1 and θ 2 , each of which is in a range of from 20° to 60°, where the point angle θ 1 is the point angle in a cross section of the Y direction, and the point angle θ 2 in the cross section of the X direction.

14. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of projections and the plurality of needle portions are formed such that the angle Φ 1 of the needle portions is greater than the angle Φ 2 of the projections.

15. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of projections and the plurality of needle portions are formed such that the angle Φ 1 of the needle portions is smaller than the angle Φ 2 of the projections.

16. The needle-like structure according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of projections and the plurality of needle portions are formed such that the angle Φ 1 of the needle portions is equal to the angle Φ 2 of the projections.

17. The needle-like structure according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of projections and the plurality of needle portions are formed such that the angle Φ 1 of the needle portions is greater than the angle Φ 2 of the projections.

18. The needle-like structure according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of projections and the plurality of needle portions are formed such that the angle Φ 1 of the needle portions is smaller than the angle Φ 2 of the projections.

19. The needle-like structure according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of projections and the plurality of needle portions are formed such that the angle Φ 1 of the needle portions is equal to the angle Φ 2 of the projections.

20. The needle-like structure according to claim 5 , wherein the projections, the substrate, and the needle portions are integrally formed of a resin body.

Assignees

• Toppan Printing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Uemura Daizo

Classifications

• B32B3/30

  characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. {hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs (apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26)} · CPC title

• B29C33/42

  characterised by the shape of the moulding surface, e.g. ribs or grooves · CPC title

• B29C41/085

  by rotating the former around its axis of symmetry · CPC title

• B29C33/3857

  by making impressions of one or more parts of models, e.g. shaped articles and including possible subsequent assembly of the parts · CPC title

• A61M2037/0053

  Methods for producing microneedles · CPC title