Skip navigation
  • Home
  • Browse
    • Communities
      & Collections
    • Browse Items by:
    • Publication Date
    • Author
    • Title
    • Subject
    • Department
  • Sign on to:
    • My MacSphere
    • Receive email
      updates
    • Edit Profile


McMaster University Home Page
  1. MacSphere
  2. Open Access Dissertations and Theses Community
  3. Open Access Dissertations and Theses
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/11375/11155
Full metadata record
DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.advisorSheardown, Heatheren_US
dc.contributor.advisorJones, Kimen_US
dc.contributor.advisorSelvaganapathy, Ponnambalamen_US
dc.contributor.authorMahadevan, Geethaen_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-06-18T16:53:46Z-
dc.date.available2014-06-18T16:53:46Z-
dc.date.created2011-09-11en_US
dc.date.issued2011-10en_US
dc.identifier.otheropendissertations/6145en_US
dc.identifier.other7159en_US
dc.identifier.other2230452en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11375/11155-
dc.description.abstract<p>Sight-threatening diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), affect the tissues of the posterior segment of the eye. Though modern classes of biomolecular based drugs are therapeutically useful, drug targeting for prolonged bioavailability to pathological sites within the eye is challenging. Current delivery approaches are invasive and lack control over drug release rates and tissue-specific localization. In this thesis, a device using microneedles embedded in a flexible platform was developed that could potentially overcome these challenges.</p> <p>New methods for microneedle fabrication were developed by co-opting simple chemical etch methods commonly used for optical probe fabrication as an alternative to current complex and expensive photolithographic technologies to produce out-of-plane, high aspect ratio microneedles which are often constrained materially to silicon and metal. Microneedles with repeatable tip and taper sizes were obtained using hydrofluoric acid, an organic phase and fused-silica capillary tubing. Microneedles with 10 um tips were made using single and batch mode methods and were then integrated into poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for alignment using low cost micromolding approaches offering the same degree of accuracy provided by conventional photolithography<strong>. </strong></p> <p>Single microneedle-based devices successfully delivered rhodamine intrasclerally, intravitreally, suprachoroidally and to the retina. This is the first demonstration of active delivery to specific spatial regions within the posterior eye at controllable rates using a non-implantable, biocompatible device – with minimal fabrication facilities, equipment and cost. The fabricated device demonstrated a new hybrid approach of coupling a rigid microneedle with a soft and pliable substrate that could conform to biological tissues.</p>en_US
dc.subjectocular drug deliveryen_US
dc.subjectmicroneedlesen_US
dc.subjectdrug delivery devicesen_US
dc.subjectmicrofluidicsen_US
dc.subjectmicrofabricationen_US
dc.subjectBiomaterialsen_US
dc.subjectBiomedical devices and instrumentationen_US
dc.subjectBiomaterialsen_US
dc.titleDrug Delivery to the Posterior Eye Using Etched Microneedlesen_US
dc.typethesisen_US
dc.contributor.departmentChemical Engineeringen_US
dc.description.degreeDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)en_US
Appears in Collections:Open Access Dissertations and Theses

Files in This Item:
File SizeFormat 
fulltext.pdf
Open Access
4.04 MBAdobe PDFView/Open
Show simple item record Statistics


Items in MacSphere are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship     McMaster University Libraries
©2022 McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8 | 905-525-9140 | Contact Us | Terms of Use & Privacy Policy | Feedback

Report Accessibility Issue