Fabrication of microneedles precisely imitating mosquito's proboscis by nanoscale tree dimensional laser lithography and its characterization

Aiming at painless medical applications, a hollow microneedle imitating mosquito's proboscis is developed using three-dimensional laser lithography. Unlike other reported needles, presented microneedle is divided into two half parts, each is shaped like eaves-through and dependently moved. The tip of each part is three-dimensionally sharpened, and several jagged edges project to the outside. The combined halves act as one hollow microneedle, which can draw up human blood by capillary action. The microneedle can puncture an artificial skin without buckling. The resistive force during insertion can be reduced when the two halves are alternately advanced, which mimics the motion of mosquito's proboscis.