Drive component of a micro-needle system and method for driving the same, micro-needle system and method for fabricating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11230469-B2
Application number	US-201916413822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2019
Priority date	Aug 28, 2018
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

The disclosure discloses a drive component of a micro-needle system, a method for driving the same, a micro-needle system and a method for fabricating the same; wherein the drive component includes a substrate with a groove; a bottom electrode in the groove; an electro-active polymer layer, covering the bottom electrode, in the groove; and an upper flexible electrode covering the electro-active polymer layer; wherein the upper flexible electrode and the bottom electrode are configured to generate a voltage, and the electro-active polymer layer is configured to generate a strain under the voltage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive component of a micro-needle system, comprising:
a substrate with a groove;
a bottom electrode in the groove;
an electro-active polymer layer, covering the bottom electrode, in the groove; and
an upper flexible electrode covering the electro-active polymer layer;
wherein the upper flexible electrode and the bottom electrode are configured to generate a voltage, the electro-active polymer layer is configured to generate a strain under the voltage, the strain changes a shape of the upper flexible electrode;
wherein the bottom electrode is provided with:
a first surface; and
a second surface in opposition to the first surface;
wherein the first surface and the second surface are parallel to the substrate, the first surface is in contact with a bottom of the groove, and the second surface is in contact with the electro-active polymer layer.

2. The drive component according to claim 1 , wherein the groove is arranged with a plurality of bottom electrodes arranged spaced apart from each other.

3. The drive component according to claim 1 , wherein the upper flexible electrode only covers the groove.

4. The drive component according to claim 1 , wherein the upper flexible electrode is flush with an upper surface of the groove.

5. The drive component according to claim 1 , wherein a material of the electro-active polymer layer comprises a conductive polymer or an ionic polymer-based metal composite.

6. A micro-needle system, comprising a micro-needle component and a drive component fit tightly with each other;
wherein the micro-needle component comprises a plurality of micro-needle protrusions, each of which comprises a micro-needle through-hole;
the drive component comprises a substrate with a groove; a bottom electrode in the groove; an electro-active polymer layer, covering the bottom electrode, in the groove; and an upper flexible electrode covering the electro-active polymer layer; wherein the upper flexible electrode and the bottom electrode are configured to generate a voltage, and the electro-active polymer layer is configured to generate a strain under the voltage; and
a liquid storage region is arranged between respective micro-needle through-holes of the micro-needle component and the groove of the drive component, and the liquid storage region is at a side, facing away from the bottom electrode, of the upper flexible electrode.

7. The micro-needle system according to claim 6 , wherein the micro-needle system comprises a plurality of liquid storage regions corresponding to and connected with the respective micro-needle through-holes in a one-to-one manner.

8. The micro-needle system according to claim 6 , wherein the drive component comprises a plurality of grooves; and the upper flexible electrode is adjacent to the liquid storage region.

9. The micro-needle system according to claim 8 , wherein each groove is arranged with a plurality of bottom electrodes arranged spaced apart from each other.

10. The micro-needle system according to claim 8 , wherein the upper flexible electrode is arranged as a whole layer to cover each electro-active polymer layer in the plurality of grooves.

11. The micro-needle system according to claim 6 , wherein the upper flexible electrode only covers the groove.

12. The micro-needle system according to claim 6 , wherein the upper flexible electrode is flush with an upper surface of the groove.

13. The micro-needle system according to claim 6 , wherein a material of the electro-active polymer layer comprises a conductive polymer or an ionic polymer-based metal composite.

14. The micro-needle system according to claim 6 , wherein the micro-needle component is arranged with a groove on a side facing the drive component, and the liquid storage region comprises the groove of the micro-needle component.

15. A method for driving the drive component according to claim 1 , comprising:
applying an electrical signal to the upper flexible electrode and the bottom electrode to generate a voltage to make the electro-active polymer layer generate a strain under the voltage.

16. A method for fabricating the micro-needle system according to claim 6 , comprising:
forming the plurality of micro-needle protrusions on a side of a substrate of the micro-needle component via an etching process, and forming respective micro-needle through-holes at positions of the plurality of micro-needle protrusions via an ion etching process;
forming the groove on the substrate of the drive component via an etching process, and forming the bottom electrode, the electro-active polymer layer and the upper flexible electrode sequentially in the groove of the drive component; and
bonding the micro-needle component and the drive component via a bonding process to form the micro-needle system.

17. The drive component according to claim 1 , wherein the upper flexible electrode covers an entire surface of the substrate.

18. The drive component according to claim 1 , wherein the upper flexible electrode is lower than the upper surface of the groove.

19. The micro-needle system according to claim 6 , wherein the micro-needle system comprises one liquid storage region connecting with the respective micro-needle through-holes.

20. The micro-needle system according to claim 6 , wherein the upper flexible electrode is lower than the upper surface of the groove.

Assignees

• Boe Technology Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Zhidong
• Zhou Lijia
• Zhou Quanguo
• Lan Ronghua
• Yan Rongjian

Classifications

• F03G7/025

  characterised by its use · CPC title

• F03G7/0121

  Electroactive polymers · CPC title

• A61M2037/003

  having a lumen · CPC title

• A61M2037/0007

  having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents · CPC title

• B81B2201/055

  Microneedles · CPC title