HIGHLY WICKING CELLULOSE MICRONEEDLES FOR RAPID SAMPLING AND TRANSPORT OF DERMAL INTERSTITAL FLUID

We report the development of highly wicking cellulose microneedles (MNs) for the rapid extraction and transport of dermal interstitial fluid (ISF).The MN array is made using a unique fabrication process, resulting in mechanically robust microneedles with exceptional wicking properties.For proof of concept, the cellulose MN array was integrated with a lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (LFIA) and tested on an artificial skin model, revealing its ability to autonomously extract fluid for subsequent LFIA-based biomarker detection.