Direct Printing of High-resolution Metallic 3D Microneedle Arrays via Electrohydrodynamic Jet Printing

Three-dimensional (3D) microneedle arrays (MAs) have shown remarkable performances for a wide range of biomedical applications. Achieving advanced customizable 3D MAs for personalized research and treatment remains a formidable challenge. In this paper, we have developed a high-resolution Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) 3D printing process for fabricating customizable 3D MAs with economical and biocompatible molten alloy. The critical printing parameters (i.e., voltage and pressure) on the printing process for both 2D and 3D features are characterized, and an optimal set of printing parameters was obtained for printing 3D MAs. We have also studied the effect of the tip-nozzle separation speed on the final tip dimension, which will directly influence MAs' insertion performance and functions. With the optimal process parameters, we successfully EHD printed customizable 3D MAs with varying spacing distances and shank heights. A 3=3 customized 3D MAs configuration with various heights ranging from 0.8mm to 1mm and a spacing distance as small as 350 um were successfully fabricated, in which the diameter of each individual microneedle was as small as 100 um. A series of tests were conducted to evaluate the printed 3D MAs. The experimental results demonstrated that the printed 3D MAs exhibit good mechanical strength for implanting and good electrical properties for electrophysiological sensing and stimulation. All results showed the potential applications of the EHD printing technique in fabricating cost-effective customizable high-performance MAs for biomedical applications.