Application
Microneedle Coating
Microneedle technology offers a minimally invasive solution for transdermal drug delivery. The microneedles insert into the skin with little or no pain, allowing efficient drug diffusion into interstitial fluid. This method bypasses the gastrointestinal tract and avoids first-pass metabolism. Microneedles are used to deliver drugs such as vaccines, peptides, and small molecules. They offer a safer and more convenient alternative to hypodermic needles, supporting long-term therapeutic effectiveness.
Microneedle designs can be made from stainless steel or dissolvable polymers. Each manufacturing method affects coating precision, drug stability, and performance at room temperature, which are key factors for safety and efficiency.
A reliable liquid coating is essential for producing solid microneedles, hollow microneedles, and dissolvable designs. The coating process must maintain consistent volume accuracy, compound integrity, and consistent dosing for success in clinical and commercial applications. As the need for automated production grows, precise dispensing technologies help achieve reliable drug release, reduce waste, and simplify scale-up from research to commercial manufacturing.
How Hamilton Supports Your Microneedle Coating Workflow
Hamilton’s microneedle coating solutions integrate non-contact liquid dispensing, precision targeting, and automated quality control to advance every stage of your production process. Using the PIPEJET dispenser, we apply volumes as low as 2–70 nL with high accuracy, even for viscous biologics or complex drug formulations.
The process begins with needle identification by TOPVIEW, which detects each needle tip and defines it as a target. Then, SMARTDROP calibrates the dispenser, ensuring precise droplet volume and eliminating satellites. Next, TOPVIEW performs positioning correction with semi-automatic offset adjustment to enable accurate microdroplet placement on the needle tips. PIPEJET then deposits droplets using piezo-actuated, drop-on-demand dispensing for high-precision application. Finally, TOPVIEW ensures quality control by monitoring processed patches via visual feedback. This workflow supports coating of complex formulations, reduces waste, and ensures consistent results. Hamilton’s team supports your transition from R&D to production with training, validation, and customization to meet regulatory and scale-up goals.
Explore Our Microneedle Coating Solutions and Applications in Detail
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Automated workstation
BIOSPOT® DX
A flexible spotting platform designed to dispense ultra-low volumes onto virtually any substrate, ideal for biosensors, lateral flow assays, microfluidic devices, and diagnostic chip manufacturing.
OEM Microfluidic Technology
PIPEJET® Nano Dispenser
Non-contact, drop-on-demand dispenser for nanoliter volumes using piezo-actuated polymer tips, perfect for precision across a wide range of viscosities in your workflows.
OEM Microfluidic Technology
SIJET Pico Dispenser
Delivers picoliter droplets (as low as 150 pL) with non-contact piezo technology, suited for highly miniaturized assays and high-resolution dispensing tasks.
Lab Syringes
Gastight Syringes
The solution for dispensing both gases and heterogeneous liquids. Hamilton Gastight syringes are equipped with a precision-machined PTFE plunger tip to create a leak-free seal.
Lab Syringes
Microliter Syringes
Hamilton Microliter syringes are ideal for dispensing homogeneous liquid samples not prone to glass bonding or precipitation. With a hand-fitted stainless steel plunger for frictionless movement and minimal wear, these syringes are designed to last.
Lab Syringes
Syringe Accessories
Hamilton offers a wide range of syringe accessories to improve functionality and reproducibility of a syringe. From repeated dispensers and plunger accessories to cleaning products and solutions, we have you covered.
Good to Know About Microneedle Coating
This section provides a selection of additional resources related to the application described on this page. It includes helpful articles, videos, and blogs that offer deeper insights into the topic.
Useful Links
External resources not written by Hamilton but valuable for understanding the topic, such as industry guidelines, explanatory videos, or relevant tools.
| Nguyen, H. X. (2025). Beyond the needle: Innovative microneedle‑based transdermal vaccination. Medicines, 12(1), Article 4. | Read Article |
Scientific Articles
Peer-reviewed journal publications that feature Hamilton products, demonstrating their use in real-world research and application
| Lee, J., van der Maaden, K., Gooris, G., O’Mahony, C., Jiskoot, W., & Bouwstra, J. (2021). Engineering of an automated nano‑droplet dispensing system for fabrication of antigen‑loaded dissolving microneedle arrays. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 600, Article 120473. | Read Article |
Hamilton Products in Action
A collection of videos showcasing Hamilton products in use, providing practical insights into their functionality and benefits.
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Solutions for Top 3 Challenges in Microneedle Coating
Consistent Coating Across Arrays
Challenge: Microneedle drug formulations vary widely in viscosity, composition, and sensitivity. Achieving uniform coating across each microneedle tip is essential for consistent dosing and therapeutic efficacy.
Solution: Hamilton’s PIPEJET dispensing technology delivers highly accurate volumes (2–70 nL) across a wide range of viscosities, including challenging biologics and protein-rich drug formulations. Combined with TOPVIEW, which enables real-time target detection, precise alignment, and feature recognition on complex substrates, the system ensures accurate deposition on each microneedle, resulting in uniform, high-integrity coatings batch after batch.
Preserving Costly or Sensitive Compounds
Challenge: High-value APIs, such as peptides or vaccines, require precise and efficient delivery. Conventional coating methods often waste materials on non-essential areas.
Solution: PIPEJET’s media-separated design isolates reagents from the actuator, enabling full recovery of unused liquid. Its ultra-low working volume and drop control ensure coatings are applied only where needed—usually on the upper third of each microneedle. This reduces waste and supports delivery efficiency.
Scalable, High-Throughput Production
Challenge: Growing demand for microneedle-based therapies requires manufacturing systems that scale while maintaining precision.
Solution: Hamilton PIPEJET, SMARTDROP, and TOPVIEW can be used as standalone platforms, such as BIOSPOT DX or OEM-ready modules. They integrate with automated production lines to provide real-time quality checks, volume calibration, and traceable results. This supports a smooth transition from lab-scale work to industrial-scale production.
Microneedle Coating Solutions
Hamilton’s microneedle coating solutions support the development of next-generation transdermal drug delivery systems through a precise, drop-on-demand coating process. In a recent application note, we demonstrate how our non-contact dispensing technology enables reliable and reproducible coating of microneedle arrays—whether solid or hollow—while minimizing material waste. Our approach addresses key challenges in drug administration, such as penetrating the stratum corneum and ensuring consistent dosing into the viable epidermis. Unlike dip coating or traditional hypodermic methods, our solution is optimized for painless, minimally invasive self-application and does not require a cooling chain. From vaccine delivery to thermal ablation and beyond, Hamilton provides scalable, automated manufacturing methods that ensure consistent performance across microneedle patches for long-term, human skin-compatible drug delivery.
Microneedle Coating Case Studies and Application Notes
Microneedle Coating
Browse app notes, user guides, specification documents, and more in our Knowledge Center.
Browse app notes, user guides, specification documents, and more in our Knowledge Center.
Browse app notes, user guides, specification documents, and more in our Knowledge Center.
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