Multichannel micro-needles
A micro-needle ( 4 ) comprising a sharp tip ( 31 ), an elongated body ( 32 ) and a head ( 36 ) containing at least two parallel independent lumens ( 5, 6 ), each of said lumens ( 5, 6 ) communicating with a distal side opening ( 7, 8 ) of the head ( 36 ); said openings ( 7, 8 ) being essentially oriented in a direction which is perpendicular with respect to its lumen ( 5, 6 ) main direction and wherein the distal top end ( 33, 34 ) of said lumen ( 5, 6 ) is in the head ( 36 ) of the micro-needle ( 4 ).
1. A micro-needle comprising, along a longitudinal direction,
an elongated body,
a head,
a structure, and
a conical part,
wherein the micro-needle further comprises
at least two parallel independent lumens located along the longitudinal direction inside the elongated body and the head, each of the lumens communicating with a respective distal side opening of the head, at least one of said openings being essentially oriented in a direction which is perpendicular with respect to a corresponding lumen main direction,
wherein a top end of each of the lumens is located in the head, and the conical part is located at a distal end of the micro-needle and includes a closed pointed end tip forming a tip of the micro-needle and an opposite end integrally formed with the head,
wherein the structure is a solid cylinder arranged in a central area of the micro-needle.
2. The micro-needle according to claim 1 wherein each of said lumens is connected to a different reservoir.
3. The micro-needle according to claim 1 wherein the closed pointed end tip has a diameter of less than 1 μm.
4. The micro-needle according to claim 1 wherein the elongated body and the head have an external circular cross-section.
5. The micro-needle according to claim 1 wherein the elongated body and the head have an external polygonal cross-section.
6. The micro-needle according to claim 1 wherein the conical part of the micro-needle has a smaller external cross-section than an external cross-section of the elongated body.
7. The micro-needle according to claim 1 , further comprising a base.
8. A group of said micro-needles according to claim 1 , wherein the group of microneedles is fixed on a base.
9. The micro-needle as defined in claim 1 and obtained by a process comprising three isotropic etchings and two anisotropic etchings.
10. The micro-needle according to claim 1 , wherein the solid cylinder is surrounded by said lumens.
11. The micro-needle according to claim 1 , wherein the solid cylinder further comprises walls forming interior walls of said lumens.
12. A micro-needle comprising, along a longitudinal direction,
an elongated body,
a head,
a cylindrical solid structure arranged inside the elongated body, and
a conical part,
wherein the micro-needle further comprises at least two parallel independent lumens located along the longitudinal direction and inside the elongated body and the head,
each of the lumens communicating with a respective distal side opening of the head,
at least one of the openings being essentially oriented in a direction which is perpendicular with respect to a corresponding lumen main direction,
wherein a top end of each of the lumens is located in the head, and the conical part is located at a distal end of the micro-needle and includes a closed pointed end tip forming a tip of the micro- needle and an opposite end of the conical part is integrally formed with the head.
13. The micro-needle according to claim 12 , wherein the cylindrical solid structure further comprises walls forming interior walls of said lumens.
14. The micro-needle according to claim 12 , wherein the cylindrical solid structure is surrounded by said lumens.