Patent ID: 8865288
Filing Date: 2014-10-21
Classification: A61M,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating an array of micro-needles having tips disposed along a non-planar surface comprising: providing a wafer which is non-flexible; shaping a top surface of the wafer into a non-planar surface; cutting a first plurality of trenches into the non-planar surface, wherein the first plurality of trenches are uniformly spaced; cutting a second plurality of trenches into the non-planar surface to intersect the first plurality of trenches to form a plurality of columns having tops defined by the non-planar surface and wherein the second plurality of trenches are uniformly spaced such that the plurality of columns have a uniform width; and etching the plurality of columns to round the columns and sharpen the tops into needle tips to form the array of micro-needles such that tips of the micro-needles are disposed substantially along the non-planar surface, wherein the tip surface is a three-dimensional curve and the micro-needles are electrically conductive and electrically insulated from each other, and wherein the three-dimensional curve is a continuous function defined by z=f(x,y) where z is a height of the micro-needles as a function of horizontal location x and y, and the micro-needles are solid throughout.