A medical device for delivering a drug compound through a stratum corneum includes a support having an aperture, an array of microneedles extending outwardly from the support, a plurality of nanostructures associated with each microneedle, and a reservoir wherein the drug compound is retained. At least one microneedle contains a shaft extending from the support. The shaft includes a tip configured to penetrate the stratum corneum. The shaft defines a channel extending from the support to the tip. The channel is in at least partial alignment with the aperture. At least some of the microneedles of the array of microneedles each have a cross-sectional dimension of from about 1 micrometer to about 1 millimeter. At least some of the nanostructures have a cross-sectional dimension less than about 500 nanometers and greater than about 5 nanometers and an aspect ratio of from about 0.2 to about 5.

The invention relates to a method for integrating structures in a support, which comprises the steps: a) supplying a support comprising a front face and a rear face, and through cavities each delimited by a wall designated through wall; b) inserting into each of the through cavities a structure, provided with a first face and a second face connected by a contour, the first face and the front face being coplanar, the through cavities and/or the structures being laid out to leave a peripheral space; c) filling the peripheral space with a sealing material so as to maintain the structures to the support; The peripheral space has a radial extension length which decreases from the rear face to the front face.

The invention relates to a nozzle for use in a device for administering a liquid medical formulation, to a method for producing the nozzle in the form of a microfluidic component and to a tool for producing microstructures of the microfluidic component. The nozzle is formed by a plastics plate with groove-like microstructures which are covered by a plastics cover on the longitudinal side in a fixed manner. The production method includes a moulding process in which a moulding tool is used, which moulding tool has complementary metal microstructures which have been produced from a semiconductor material in an electrodeposition process by means of a master component.

A method, system, and apparatus for an improved gripping device comprises a substrate and a curved microplate formed on the substrate. In certain embodiments, the system further comprises an array of curved microplates formed on the substrate further comprising a plurality of aligned rows of the curved microplates formed on the substrate and a plurality of aligned columns of the curved microplates formed on the substrate. The curved microplate has a gripping direction, being substantially opposite the direction of the curve in the curved microplate and the curved microplate has a releasing direction, substantially in line with the direction of the curve in the curved microplate.

A microfluidic cartridge, configured to facilitate processing and detection of nucleic acids, comprising: a top layer comprising a set of cartridge-aligning indentations, a set of sample port-reagent port pairs, a shared fluid port, a vent region, a heating region, and a set of detection chambers; an intermediate substrate, coupled to the top layer comprising a waste chamber; an elastomeric layer, partially situated on the intermediate substrate; and a set of fluidic pathways, each formed by at least a portion of the top layer and a portion of the elastomeric layer, wherein each fluidic pathway is fluidically coupled to a sample port-reagent port pair, the shared fluid port, and a detection chamber, comprises a turnabout portion passing through the heating region, and is configured to be occluded upon deformation of the elastomeric layer, to transfer a waste fluid to the waste chamber, and to pass through the vent region.

A method is disclosed for micro-molding articles. The method comprises melting and pre-pressurizing thermoplastic material to a first level, within a plasticizing barrel. The melt pressure of the thermoplastic material is manipulated to a second level, within a hot runner. The melt pressure of the thermoplastic material is manipulated to an ultra-cavity packing pressure within a valve gate nozzle.

A method of manufacturing a stamp for imprint lithography is described. The method includes coating a master with a layer system, comprising a first layer and a second layer, the second layer being on top of the first layer, the master providing a template of an imprint structure. The method further includes providing a stabilization element over the second layer, the stabilization element having a higher bending resistance than the second layer, and separating the master from the layer system to expose the imprint structure.

A thin-walled microplate suitable for use in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique comprising a plurality of thin-walled tubes or wells arranged in a fixed array, each well having an upper portion with an open top and a lower, frustoconical portion having a substantially flat bottom.

An apparatus for manufacturing a multilayer microneedle patch and a method to manufacture a multilayer microneedle patch is disclosed along with multilayer microneedle patches.

A system and method for processing and detecting nucleic acids from a set of biological samples, comprising: a capture plate and a capture plate module configured to facilitate binding of nucleic acids within the set of biological samples to magnetic beads; a molecular diagnostic module configured to receive nucleic acids bound to magnetic beads, isolate nucleic acids, and analyze nucleic acids, comprising a cartridge receiving module, a heating/cooling subsystem and a magnet configured to facilitate isolation of nucleic acids, a valve actuation subsystem configured to control fluid flow through a microfluidic cartridge for processing nucleic acids, and an optical subsystem for analysis of nucleic acids; a fluid handling system configured to deliver samples and reagents to components of the system to facilitate molecular diagnostic protocols; and an assay strip configured to combine nucleic acid samples with molecular diagnostic reagents for analysis of nucleic acids.