Patent ID: 7108681

Claim:
A microstructure apparatus, comprising: a substrate, said substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface opposed thereto; and a plurality of non-rigid microelements affixed upon said first surface of said substrate and extending outwardly therefrom; said plurality of microelements being of predetermined sizes and shapes and so designed to make multiple slits or cuts in a stratum corneum layer of skin, when said microstructure apparatus is placed upon said skin and moved in at least one predetermined direction, wherein said at least one predetermined direction is in a direction that is substantially parallel to a surface of said skin, said apparatus further comprising a nonwoven absorbent backing layer mounted on said second surface of said substrate, said absorbent backing layer being impregnated with at least one fluidic compound and thereby acting as a fluid reservoir for use with said substrate, at least one of said substrate and said microelements having passageways therethrough, said passageways allowing for said fluidic compound to flow with efficiency from said backing layer to said surface of said skin when said apparatus is moved in at least one predetermined direction substantially parallel to a surface of said skin.