An improved technique uses a single microneedle to get enough fluid for a test in about 10 minutes. The microneedles penetrate the outer skin layer, but they don’t reach nerve endings and are hollow. Engineers made a couple of changes to improve the extraction technique, including modifying the shape of the needle holders, which are 3D printed at Sandia’s Advanced Materials Laboratory.

Improving the interstitial fluid extraction method helps potentially expand the use of microneedles. One such application involves using microneedles to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections.

The researchers are also working on a project to get a better understanding of what biomarkers are in interstitial fluid. As part of a collaboration, the researchers are extracting interstitial fluid on-site from volunteers using the improved method developed with SRI. The team is analyzing the fluid collected with the goal of developing continuous monitoring devices for general public use. (Image credit: Craig Fritz)

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    This article first appeared in the October, 2024 issue of Medical Design Briefs Magazine (Vol. 14 No. 10).

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