We test our microneedles a lot to examine how they fail. The most common technique we use to quantify the mechanical strength of the microneedles is by applying axial compression (crushing the microneedles from the tip towards the base) on a texture analyser, and pinpointing the minimum force that results in microneedle failure. We’re fortunate that our lab is well equipped to perform these tests. We get a live video feed of what’s happening to each microneedle as it’s being compressed. We can also playback the videos and analyse them synchronously with the force-displacement data. This technique has proved invaluable in making sure our microneedles perform as they should.
Hence, when Dr Choon Fu Goh invited me (Keng) to contribute to this paper on the mechanical testing of microneedle strength, I jumped at the opportunity. This is our first paper together and I really enjoyed working on this. I hope the microneedle community finds it useful.
