Iron Repair, With Micro-Care: A Novel Dissolvable Bio-inspired Microneedle Patch for Iron Delivery

Overview

Iron deficiency affects over 2 billion people, but current treatments are limited by gastrointestinal side effects, slow response, adherence challenges or are expensive. Micro-needles consist of microscopic needles that pierce the skin to deliver drugs. Iron’s low absorption and need for high doses limit its use in traditional transdermal delivery systems, which is why it is a strong candidate for improved delivery through biomimetic microneedles. This project explored whether redesigning a standard micro-needle inspired by the mosquito’s proboscis and porcupine’s quill could improve the microneedle's performance. We compared these animal designs to conventional needles by testing their adhesion, penetration, insertion, and diffusion on agar-based skin. After analyzing these results, we created a new spiral-shaped micro-needle that outperformed the conventional smooth needles significantly. Overall, this project shows a promising step toward our innovation “MIron,” a weekly dissolvable bio-inspired microneedle patch that makes it easier for people with iron deficiency.

Awards (3)

• Challenge Award
• Gold Medal
• Selected for CWSF 2026

Competition history

• CWSF 2026 Health & Wellness

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