"Micro-needle" technology has been introduced into the beauty, health, and future medical industry, using needles that are much smaller than 10 micrometers - nearly ten times smaller than a hair strand. It can easily penetrate the skin's surface, effectively delivering various essential substances into the skin layer without causing pain or permanent scars. It is a technology worth watching with a high market potential, riding the wave of health and beauty enthusiasts.
However, "microneedles" are not yet widely used in Thailand due to the industrial production issues of "microneedles," which result in relatively high prices and limited options.
The Nano-scale Needle Research Team, the Responsive Material and Nano-sensor Research Group, National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), and National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) have developed a production process called "Microspike" technology to address these constraints. It is designed in alignment with the purpose of use and the properties of substances that need to be absorbed into the skin layer.
"Microspike" technology involves the design, development, production, and application of a small needle-like structure to create channels for delivering essential substances through the skin layer without causing pain or permanent scars. The highlight is that microspikes can be produced on a piece of fabric or other flexible materials in a very short time. Moreover, specific characteristics such as shape, number, and density per area can be determined to produce patches with specific features according to various usage requirements, offering limitless possibilities.
The potential of "microspike" technology can be applied in health and beauty sectors, or even in combination with existing cosmetics to enhance the efficiency of key ingredient delivery.
"Needle forming on the fabric" is another core technology that unlocks the production for commercial purposes. The conventional production of needles requires the incorporation of key ingredients during the needle fabrication process. Due to the variation in the types of these ingredients, it's often not possible to use them with diverse substances. However, "Needle forming on the fabric" allows for the creation of microneedles that can be used with any substance type, acting like a multitude of simulated pores, serving as a pathway for the ingredients to penetrate under the skin. Once the ingredient is absorbed completely, these skin channels restore to their original state almost immediately.
The innovative work "Instant production of microneedle fabrics with customizable features" was awarded a gold medal at the SPECIAL EDITION 2022–INVENTION GENEVA EVALUATION DAYS in Switzerland, supported by National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT).
Currently, the NANOTEC research team of NSTDA can rapidly advance the production of microneedles, with a production capacity 25 times higher than existing global microneedle manufacturers. They can also produce the largest microneedle panels, up to 2,000 square centimeters, which is considered the largest in the world at this time.
"Microspike" is a technology with the potential for commercial development both domestically and internationally, with a ready prototype technology level that can be applied in various applications. The increasing trend towards health care has led to further research and development of microneedle technology.
Initially targeting the health and beauty industries, which are continuously growing each year, this innovation is set to revolutionize the cosmetics and health industries, and eventually extend to the medical field. It enables consumers to access innovative health care more effectively, especially those who prioritize health care.
The success of the research and development and the outstanding features of "Microspike" technology have led to the establishment of Spike ArchiTechnics Co., Ltd., one of the nine Deep Tech Startups under the "NSTDA Startup" program by NRO, to further develop the technology into industrial production.
Source: National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
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