3d fabrication of needle tip geometry and knife blade

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for creating a beveled needle or a blade. The method employs a side wall surface of an angled post as a base to control beveled tip geometry. The invention provides needles, microneedle arrays, blades and microblade arrays with sufficient sharpness and toughness.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An implement, the implement prepared by:
 creating at least one inclined structure which defines an angle of an angled tip of the implement, the angle defining the implement's sharpness; and   building at least one needle mold structure or at least one blade mold structure on the inclined structure.   
     
     
         2 . The implement of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one inclined structure is created by one or more of mechanical machining, laser ablation, lithography, abrasion, electric discharged machining (EDM), electric chemical machining (ECM), etching, or deposition. 
     
     
         3 . The implement of  claim 1 , wherein building the least one needle mold structure or at least one blade mold structure on the inclined structure comprises building a microneedle array mold structure including a plurality of needle mold structures on the inclined structure, and wherein the implement is combined with one or more other implements to from a microneedle array with a controllable beveled angle needle tip, the angle of the controllable beveled angle needle tip being controlled by the inclined structure. 
     
     
         4 . A method for making a mold structure for an implement, the method comprising:
 applying an elastomer over an implement, the implement prepared by:
 creating at least one inclined structure which defines an angle of an angled tip of the implement, the angle defining the implement's sharpness; and 
 building at least one needle mold structure or at least one blade mold structure on the inclined structure; and 
   removing the implement to obtain the elastomer mold structure.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the elastomer is PDMS. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 applying an elastomer over the mold structure to obtain an elastomer structure;   disassociating the elastomer structure from the mold structure;   applying a solvent soluble material over the elastomer structure; and   removing the elastomer structure to obtain a soluble mold structure.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the solvent soluble material is PVA. 
     
     
         8 . A mold structure, the mold structure prepared by:
 applying an elastomer over an implement, the implement prepared by:
 creating at least one inclined structure which defines an angle of an angled tip of the implement, the angle defining the implement's sharpness; and 
 building at least one needle mold structure or at least one blade mold structure on the inclined structure; and 
   removing the implement to obtain the elastomer mold structure.