Micropocket-Integrated Microneedle Wound Dressing with PH-Responsive Actuation for Enhanced Drug Delivery

This paper presents a novel pH-sensitive hydrogel-actuatable microneedle wound dressing with an integrated micro-pocket for precise and adaptive drug delivery. The micro-pocket significantly increases drug-loading capacity and ensures targeted delivery directly into the desired skin layers, challenging the limitations of traditional drug-coated microneedles. The microneedle array, housed in a dual-layer hydrogel and gelatin structure, dynamically actuates in response to environmental pH levels, expanding in alkaline conditions for deeper insertion and contracting in acidic environments for controlled diffusion. The micro-pocket microneedle fabrication is enabled using a uniquely developed single UV diffraction technique, while the packaging is prepared through advanced stereolithography-based 3D printing. Experimental validation on pig cadaver skin and in-vivo mouse models demonstrated increased drug delivery volumes of delivered drugs with precision and efficiency, highlighting their potential for transformative medical and cosmetic applications.