Hollow Microneedle Electrode Array (HMEA): A Tool for Drug Delivery and Low-Voltage Electroporation in Vivo

In this work, we report a novel tool for drug delivery and in vivo electroporation using a hollow microneedle electrode array (HMEA). The hollow microneedles are used for drug delivery and also serve as electrodes for electroporation, eliminating the cumbersome steps in traditional techniques where drugs are pre-administered with a syringe and then electroporation is performed with microneedle electrodes. The HMEA is more flexible and enables painless drug delivery. The electroporation voltage is applied on the microneedle body, avoiding the drawbacks of existing techniques where electrodes are implanted into the body through minimally invasive surgery and the voltage is conducted within the body. The HMEA is convenient to operate and safe. Additionally, the microneedles are fabricated through 3D printing and can be customized for both superficial and deep tissues with different electroporation regions. The microneedles can penetrate the stratum corneum, reducing resistance and enabling drug delivery through electroporation at low voltages. All these advantages offer great potential for practical clinical applications.