Use of X-ray micro-computed tomography to assess skin penetration depth of microneedles loaded with contrast agent

Erkan Azizoglu – Research Scientist Ⅱ, Georgia Institute of Technology; Mark Prausnitz – Regent's Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Introduction: Measuring skin penetration depth of microneedles is important to assess microneedle patch (MNP) performance. One of the major challenges in X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging of MNP penetration into the skin is the poor contrast sensitivity between needles and the surrounding skin (1). The purpose of this study was to develop better micro-CT imaging methods for quantitative measurement of skin penetration depth using contrast agents to evaluate MNP quality and performance.