A Wireless Operated Flexible Bioelectronic Microneedle Patch for Actively Controlled Transdermal Drug Delivery.

Abstract

Precise control over drug release rates is critical for enhancing therapeutic efficacy, reducing side effects, and maintaining stable drug levels. While microneedles (MNs) offer a promising approach for transdermal drug delivery, conventional passive-response systems often lack adaptability across diverse drugs and disease models, limiting their versatility. Here, this work presents a flexible bioelectronic microneedle patch (FBMP) that integrates flexible electronics for actively controlled transdermal delivery. The FBMP incorporates a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), a eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) heating film, and dual-layer microneedles with a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) core and polycaprolactone (PCL) shell. This configuration allows real-time adjustment of the thermal response rate via smartphone-controlled Bluetooth, achieving rapid drug release within 2 min or sustained release over 10 h. In various animal models, the FBMP demonstrate versatility in delivering multiple drug types, optimizing efficacy, and minimizing side effects for both acute and chronic conditions. Overall, this work introduces a flexible, universal electronic microneedle platform with significant potential to advance precision and personalized medicine by enabling customizable, actively controlled drug release.