An implantable microneedle and a manufacturing method therefor is disclosed. The implantable microneedle includes a coating layer for covering at least one part of the surface of a tip part of the microneedle. When exposed to moisture, the coating layer can be separated from the tip part of the microneedle and thus be implanted.

Provided is a method for growing a nanowire, including: providing a substrate with a base portion having a first surface and at least one support structure extending above or below the first surface; forming a dielectric coating on the at least one support structure; forming a photoresist coating over the substrate; forming a metal coating over at least a portion of the dielectric coating; removing a portion of the dielectric coating to expose a surface of the at least one support structure; removing a portion of the at least one support structure to form a nanowire growth surface; growing at least one nanowire on the nanowire growth surface of a corresponding one of the at least one support structure, wherein the nanowire comprises a root end attached to the growth surface and an opposing, free end extending from the root end; and elastically bending the at least one nanowire.

An active agent can be administered transdermally to a patient by using a transdermal patch that has microneedles that are compositionally homogenous with a base layer. The transdermal patch can contain an active agent that can be delivered to a skin surface of a subject when the patch is applied.

The present invention relates to a glass having a surface with improved water-repellency or hydrophobicity and low reflectance, and a fabrication method thereof. A technology is employed, in which a thin film containing silicon or silicon oxide is formed on the glass surface, the nano-structures are formed by selective etching treatment using a reactive gas such as CF.sub.4 or the like to provide superhydrophobicity and low reflectance properties, and a material with low surface energy is coated onto the nano-structures. The fabrication method of the low-reflective and superhydrophobic or super water-repellent glass may execute deposition and etching processes for the glass having the superhydrophobicity and the low reflectance, and provide excellent superhydrophobicity and low reflectance to the surface of the glass which was difficult to be treated. Also, the method is sustainable due to non-use of a toxic etching solution during these processes. The superhydrophobic and low-reflective glass can be applied to various fields, such as high-tech smart devices, vehicles, home appliances and so forth.

A method of operating a mechanical switching device is disclosed. The switching device includes a housing, an assembly disposed in the housing, and a body. The assembly is thermally deformable and comprises a beam held in two different places by two arms secured to edges of the housing. The beam is remote from the body in a first configuration and in contact with and immobilized by the body in a second configuration. The assembly has the first configuration at a first temperature and the second configuration when one of the arms has a second temperature different from the first temperature. The method includes exposing an arm of the assembly to the second temperature, and releasing the beam using a release mechanism. The release mechanism includes a pointed element comprising a pointed region directed towards the body. The pointed element limits an open crater in a concave part of a projection.

A technique related to sorting entities is provided. An inlet is configured to receive a fluid, and an outlet is configured to exit the fluid. A nanopillar array, connected to the inlet and the outlet, is configured to allow the fluid to flow from the inlet to the outlet. The nanopillar array includes nanopillars arranged to separate entities by size. The nanopillars are arranged to have a gap separating one nanopillar from another nanopillar. The gap is constructed to be in a nanoscale range.

A method for fabricating a fluidic device includes depositing a sacrificial material on a pillar array arranged on a substrate. The method also includes removing a portion of the sacrificial material. The method further includes depositing a sealing layer on the pillar array to form a sealed fluidic cavity.

Disclosed is a responsive platform, which includes a polymer-grafted nanopillar array, cargo-containing entities, first conjugatable moieties, and second conjugatable moieties. The polymer-grafted nanopillar array includes thermoresponsive polymer brushes grafted onto surfaces of nanopillars, and the cargo-containing entities are attached to the thermoresponsive polymer brushes through non-covalent association between the first conjugatable moieties and the second conjugatable moieties. Accordingly, the cargo-containing entities can be released from the nanopillar array for cellular uptake in a controlled manner by applying thermal stimulus.

A method for producing an integrated circuit pointed element is disclosed. An element has a projection with a concave part directing its concavity towards the element. The element includes a first etchable material. A zone is formed around the concave part of the element. The zone includes a second material that is less rapidly etchable than the first material for a particular etchant. The first material and the second material are etched with the particular etchant to form an open crater in the concave part and thus to form a pointed region of the element.

The present invention provides for transdermal delivery devices having microneedle arrays, as well as methods for their manufacture and use. In one embodiment, a transdermal delivery device is provided. The transdermal delivery device includes a polymer layer which has microneedles projecting from one of its surfaces. The microneedles are compositionally homogenous with the polymer base layer.