New device accelerates transdermal penetration of drug molecules and extraction of interstitial fluid A pain-free, organic and biodegradable drug delivery patch may be on the horizon for home health care patients soon. Researchers from Tohoku University have developed a biobattery-powered device capable of both delivering large molecule pharmaceuticals across the skin barrier and extracting interstitial fluid for diagnostic purposes. They published their approach online on Jan. 28 in Nature Communications. The team, led by corresponding author Matsuhiko Nishizawa, a professor in the Department of Finemechanics in the Graduate School of Engineering at Tohoku University, developed a microneedle array smaller than a pinky nail. The microneedles are porous, acting as interconnected conduits to either inject or extract fluid, including the large molecules of vaccines or even insulin.