| abstract |
A microfluidic delivery system substrate (1) is coated with ultra-nanocrystalline diamond (UNCD) or with a thin ceramic film, such as alumina or zirconia, that is applied by ion-beam assisted deposition; assuring that the device is impermeably sealed, to prevent the substrate from being dissolved by hostile environments and to protect the molecules from premature release or undesired reaction with hostile environments. The UNCD coating may be selectively patterned by doping to create electrically conductive areas (11) that can be used as an electrically activated release mechanism for drug delivery. The UNCD coating provides a conformal coating, of approximately uniform thickness, around sharp corners and on high aspect-ratio parts, assuring impermeability and strength despite the need to coat difficult shapes. The microfluidic delivery system is suitable for use as an iontophoresis device, for transport of molecule, having a substrate, a reservoir in the substrate for containing the molecules. |