Patent ID: 7285113

Claim:
A device for the transport of fluids through a biological barrier, the device comprising: (a) a substrate having a front surface; (b) an array of microneedles projecting from said front surface, each of said microneedles having a maximum width dimension of no more than about 400 μm and a maximum height dimension of no more than about 2 mm, each of said microneedles including: (i) a penetrating tip, (ii) at least one inclined surface extending from said penetrating tip towards said front surface of the substrate, and (iii) an enclosed fluid flow channel formed through the microneedle and intersecting with said inclined surface, wherein, in a cross-section through said microneedle adjacent to said front surface of said substrate, said fluid flow channel defines a first area having a first centroid and an outline of said microneedle defines a second area having a second centroid, said first and second centroids being non-coincident.