KR102344967B1 - Assembly method of medical microneedles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for assembling medical microneedles, and more specifically, to a method for arranging a plurality of needles at regular intervals and assembling the same on a PCB at once by not assembling the microneedles on the PCB in a form of inserting the microneedles one by one. Therefore, the present invention increases convenience of a worker, reduces a defect rate, and facilitates mass production. That is, the present invention comprises: a horizontal arranging step of horizontally arranging the plurality of microneedles at regular intervals by using an alignment jig in which horizontal alignment grooves are formed; a vertical arrangement converting step of converting the microneedles which are horizontally arranged into a vertical direction by using a position converting jig and aligning the same; a step of combining the PCB with the plurality of microneedles arranged in the vertical direction; a step of allowing the microneedles to pass through a reflow device in a state of being fixed to the jig after combination of the PCB; and a step of cutting a reflowed PCBA substrate and separating the same into an individual PCBA.

Description

Assembly method of medical microneedles

The present invention relates to a method for assembling a medical microneedle, and more specifically, it can be assembled on a PCB board by arranging a plurality of needles at regular intervals without assembling the microneedles one by one on a PCB board. It relates to a technology capable of increasing the convenience of workers, reducing the defect rate, and enabling mass production by presenting a method that allows

As medical technology is advanced, microneedles with diameters and heights of tens or hundreds of μm are used to solve various diseases or wounds occurring on the skin. These microneedles have little pain and no damage to the skin compared to the existing injection method, and are being developed gradually due to their excellent drug delivery effect. .

The microneedle is used not only for skin treatment, but also for checking blood sugar, and may be used for examining a biosignal or a part of a tissue in addition to injecting a drug into the body.

These microneedles are assembled in a form in which a plurality of microneedles are arranged on one side of the PCB board. In the conventional microneedle assembly method, as shown in FIG. Assembling has been done in the form of picking one by one with the same tools and transferring them to the PCB board.

However, since the assembly method as described above is a process that requires concentration, it causes extreme fatigue on the body (hands, wrists, shoulders, eyes) of the worker, and there is a problem in that the worker's working environment is not good. And because it requires high skill level of the operator, defects occur in the process of inserting the needle incorrectly, and the productivity decreases because a difference occurs in the work speed depending on the skill level of the operator. There was a problem that it was difficult to avoid the assembly work of the company and to find skilled workers.

Related companies have identified the above problems with assembling the microneedles so far, but since the size of the microneedles is very small, individual control is difficult, the automation of assembly is difficult, and even if automation is realized, it is very inefficient in terms of productivity. Therefore, no effort was made to improve it.

In addition, in the conventional microneedle assembly method, the pogo pins cannot be fixed together due to the characteristics of the assembly structure of the PCB board (the coupling position of the microneedle and the pogo pin is opposite) in the reflow process for the soldering operation of the PCB board. , there were problems such as having to solder the pogo pins one by one after the reflow process.

Registered Patent No. 10-1927654 Registered Patent No. 10-2236575

The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems. Rather than inserting a plurality of microneedles individually on a PCB board, aligning them so that they have the same shape and spacing and then assembling them at once is presented. Therefore, it is possible to significantly reduce fatigue by increasing the convenience of the operator, and to produce uniform quality and work speed regardless of the skill level of the operator, thereby increasing productivity, lowering the defect rate, and improving the reliability of the assembly process. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for assembling a microneedle.

The present invention provides a horizontal arrangement step of horizontally arranging a plurality of microneedles at regular intervals using an alignment jig having a horizontal alignment groove formed therein, and changing the horizontally arranged microneedles in a vertical direction using a position change jig to align A step of converting a vertical arrangement to a vertical arrangement, coupling a PCB substrate to the plurality of microneedles arranged in the vertical direction, and passing a reflow device fixed to a jig after bonding the PCB, the reflowed PCBA Separating the substrate into individual PCBA by cutting the substrate; characterized in that it consists of.

In addition, in the horizontal arrangement step, the bucket jig is coupled to both sides of the alignment jig, and vibration is applied while repeatedly adjusting the angle in the left and right direction by an operating means installed at the bottom, and a plurality of microneedles reciprocate between the bucket jigs on both sides. It is characterized in that the microneedles are horizontally aligned in the form of being seated in the horizontal alignment groove of the alignment jig.

In addition, in the vertical arrangement conversion step, the position change jig is coupled to face the surface on which the horizontal alignment groove of the alignment jig is formed, and a vertical guide slit is formed at a position corresponding to the horizontal alignment groove, and the microneedle changes from horizontal to vertical direction It is characterized in that the microneedle is vertically dropped through the discharge hole formed at the bottom.

In addition, the position change jig is coupled to the upper part in an inverted state in a state in which the microneedle is seated on the upper part of the alignment jig, and then rotates 180 degrees to change the position so that the position change jig is at the bottom so that the microneedle is vertically converted. characterized.

In addition, in the step of passing the reflow device; in the state in which the PCB substrate and the microneedle are coupled, the pogo pin is further coupled to the top of the PCB board, and the pogo pin is passed through the reflow device in the coupled state.

Through the assembling method of the present invention, the microneedles are configured so that they can be inserted at once in an aligned state without individually inserting them, thereby greatly improving the productivity according to the assembly speed, increasing the convenience of the operator, and reducing fatigue. Regardless of the skill level of the operator, a constant working speed and stable needle alignment are possible, which has the effect of lowering the defect rate and improving the assembly reliability.

1 is an exemplary view showing a method of assembling a conventional microneedle
2 is a block diagram showing a method of assembling a medical microneedle of the present invention;
3 is a perspective view showing an alignment jig used in the assembly method of the present invention;
4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a bucket jig for aligning microneedles is coupled to both sides in the assembly method of the present invention;
5 to 6 are views showing a process in which the microneedle is automatically seated in the assembly method of the present invention;
7 is an exploded perspective view showing a position change jig, a guide jig, and an assembling jig used together with the alignment jig in the assembly method of the present invention;
8 is a view showing a process of combining the alignment jig and the position change jig in the assembly method of the present invention
9 is a perspective view showing a position change jig in the assembly method of the present invention;
10 is a view showing a vertical arrangement conversion step of changing and aligning in the vertical direction using the position change jig of the present invention
11 is a view showing the step of bonding the PCB substrate to the microneedle of the present invention
12 is a perspective view showing a state in which the pogo pin is coupled to the upper part of the PCB board in the step of passing the reflow device of the present invention and fixed through the first fixing block and the second fixing block;
13 is a view showing a cutting device used in the step of separating into individual PCBA of the present invention
14 is a perspective view showing a PCBA produced through the manufacturing method of the present invention;

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The method of assembling a medical microneedle of the present invention uses a jig device to solve the problems of the existing manual microneedle assembling process, significantly increasing the convenience and productivity of the operator, and reducing the defect rate, thereby improving reliability. pertains to technology.

As shown in FIG. 2, the assembly method of the present invention is a horizontal arrangement step (S-1) of horizontally arranging a plurality of microneedles at regular intervals using an alignment jig 100 having a horizontal alignment groove 110 formed therein. And, a vertical arrangement conversion step (S-2) of changing and aligning the horizontally arranged microneedles in a vertical direction using a position change jig 200, and a PCB substrate on the plurality of microneedles arranged in the vertical direction A step of combining (S-3), passing a reflow device in a state fixed to a jig after the PCB coupling (S-4), and cutting the reflowed PCBA substrate and separating the PCBA into individual PCBAs (S-5);

The horizontal arrangement step (S-1); is configured to automatically align the microneedles of the minute size at regular intervals using the alignment jig 100, without an operator aligning the microneedles one by one. As shown in FIG. 3 , a plurality of horizontal alignment grooves 110 are formed in the alignment jig 100 , and the microneedles are horizontally seated in the horizontal alignment groove 110 .

In the horizontal arrangement step (S-1), the bucket jig 120 is coupled to both sides of the alignment jig 100 as shown in FIG. 4 . Then, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 6, vibration is applied while repeatedly adjusting the angle in the left and right direction by the operating means 130 installed on the lower side, and a plurality of microneedles are reciprocated to align the bucket jigs 120 on both sides. It will be seated in the horizontal alignment groove 110 of the jig 100 .

The horizontal alignment groove 110 formed in the alignment jig 100 is divided into a pointed portion and a non-pointed portion to match the shape of the microneedle, and the pointed portion is formed to have directionality in the form of looking in one direction.

And in the horizontal arrangement step (S-1), the microneedles filled in the bucket jig 120 are provided several times more than the number of the horizontal alignment grooves 110 in which the alignment is made, so that the number of microneedles is moved while the horizontal alignment grooves are moved. It is desirable to increase the probability of being seated in (110). The higher the probability of being seated, the shorter the working time can be.

After the horizontal alignment step (S-1), when the microneedles are seated in all the horizontal alignment grooves 110 of the alignment jig 100, the operator has the microneedle with the alignment jig 100 in the state where the microneedles are seated. can be inspected for defects.

That is, if defects of microneedles were checked in the process of moving the microneedles one by one in the past, by inspecting the microneedles aligned at regular intervals in a horizontal state on the alignment jig 100, several microneedles can be checked at once, It is easy to compare normal and defective microneedles, so the convenience, accuracy, and speed of inspection can all be improved.

The vertical arrangement conversion step (S-2) of the present invention is a process of aligning the microneedles aligned in a horizontal state in a vertical state again using the position change jig 200, and as shown in FIG. 7, the position change jig ( 200) as well as the guide jig 300 and the assembling jig 400 are further combined to form a stable vertical alignment.

The position change jig 200 used in the vertical arrangement conversion step (S-2) of the present invention is coupled to face the surface on which the horizontal alignment groove 110 of the alignment jig 100 is formed, and the horizontal alignment groove 110 and A vertical guide slit 210 is formed at a corresponding position, and the microneedle is vertically dropped through the discharge hole 220 formed at the bottom by changing the direction from horizontal to vertical.

The position change jig 200 is coupled to the upper part in an inverted state in a state in which the microneedle is seated on the upper part of the alignment jig 100 as shown in FIG. Change the position so that the microneedle is vertically converted. In a state in which the position transformation jig 200 and the alignment jig 100 are combined in this form, the guide jig 300 and the assembly jig 400 are sequentially coupled to the lower portion of the position transformation jig 200 .

And the position change jig 200 has a support groove 211 to be supported horizontally with respect to a part of the microneedle as shown in FIG. 9, and a discharge hole 220 at one side of the support groove 211. The inclined portion 212 is formed in the direction to guide the microneedle. That is, when the alignment jig 100 and the position change jig 200 are first combined, it is in a state where one part of the microneedle is held through the horizontal alignment groove 110 and the support groove 211, such as a rubber hammer or a block. When a slight impact is applied using a tool, the microneedle is dropped out of the support groove 211 along the inclined portion 212 .

As shown in FIG. 10, when the microneedle falls in a state in which the guide jig 300 and the assembly jig 400 are sequentially coupled to the lower part of the position change jig 200, the straight guide hole 310 of the guide jig 300 ), and then finally fitted into the fixing hole 410 of the assembly jig 400 .

Then, in the step of combining the PCB substrate (S-3), the solder-printed PCB substrate is coupled to a plurality of micro-needles arranged on the assembly jig 400 . At this time, as shown in FIG. 11 , the guide jig 300 , the position change jig 200 , and the alignment jig 100 positioned on the upper assembly jig 400 are all separated, and then the PCB substrate is removed from the upper part of the microneedle. Press to join. Since the microneedles are arranged at precise intervals according to the bonding position of the PCB board, they can be combined at once.

Then, through the step (S-4) of passing through the reflow device, the solder print of the PCB substrate is melted under a high temperature condition so that the PCB substrate and the microneedle are electrically connected. In the step (S-4) of passing the reflow device, the reflow is performed while the PCB substrate and the microneedle are fixed to the assembly jig 400. As shown in FIG. 12, the PCB substrate and the microneedle in this step are In a state in which the needle is coupled, the pogo pin may be further coupled to the upper part of the PCB substrate, and the pogo pin may pass through the reflow device in the coupled state.

In the assembly jig 400, the first fixing block 420 is mounted on the upper part of the PCB substrate for stable fixing, and the first fixing block 420 is fixed so that it does not move through the clamps 421 on both sides, A second fixing block 430 fitted with a pogo pin is installed on the upper portion of the first fixing block 420 to fix each pogo pin, so that the microneedle, the PCB board, and the pogo pin are fixed in a stable form. This prevents defects from occurring during the reflow process.

As described above, by passing the reflow device at once with the microneedle and the pogo pin bonded together on the PCB board, the pogo pin soldering process, which has been manually performed after the conventional reflow process, can be omitted.

Then, finally, in the step (S-5) of separating the individual PCBA, as shown in FIG. 13, the reflowed PCBA substrate is butted at once using a cutting device 500 to form the individual PCBA substrates as shown in FIG. separated by PCBA.

PCBA separated in this way is discharged as a finished product after passing through final inspections such as needle condition, pogo pin operation condition, and electrical connection condition before being shipped to the product.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above embodiments, it goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention.

S-1 ~ S-5 : Assembly method of medical microneedle
A : Microneedle B : PCB board
C : Pogo pin D : PCBA
100: alignment jig 110: horizontal alignment groove
120: bucket jig 130: operating means
200: position change jig 210: vertical guide slit
211: support groove 212: inclined part
220: discharge hole 300: guide jig
310: straight guide hole 400: assembly jig
410: fixing hole 420: first fixing block
421: clamp 430: second fixing block
500: cutting device

Claims (5)

A horizontal arrangement step (S-1) of horizontally arranging a plurality of microneedles at regular intervals using an alignment jig 100 having a horizontal alignment groove 110 formed therein;
A vertical arrangement conversion step (S-2) of changing and aligning the horizontally arranged microneedles in a vertical direction using a position change jig 200;
coupling the PCB substrate to the plurality of microneedles arranged in the vertical direction (S-3);
A step (S-4) of passing the reflow device in a state fixed to a jig after bonding the PCB substrate;
A step (S-5) of cutting the reflowed PCBA substrate and separating it into individual PCBA; consists of;
In the step of combining the PCB substrate (S-3); after separating the alignment jig and the position change jig, the PCB substrate is pressed on the upper part of the microneedle and combined,
In the step (S-4) of passing the reflow device, the solder print of the PCB substrate is melted under a high temperature condition so that the PCB substrate and the microneedle are electrically connected to be manufactured as a PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) substrate. Method of assembling a medical microneedle, characterized in that
The method of claim 1,
In the horizontal arrangement step (S-1), the bucket jig 120 is coupled to both sides of the alignment jig 100, and the vibration is generated while repeatedly adjusting the angle in the left and right direction by the operating means 130 installed in the lower part. Given, a method of assembling a medical microneedle, characterized in that the microneedles are horizontally aligned in such a way that a plurality of microneedles are seated in the horizontal alignment groove 110 of the alignment jig 100 while reciprocating the bucket jig 120 on both sides.
The method of claim 1,
In the vertical arrangement conversion step (S-2), the position change jig 200 is coupled to face the surface on which the horizontal alignment groove 110 of the alignment jig 100 is formed, and is located at a position corresponding to the horizontal alignment groove 110 . A method of assembling a medical microneedle, characterized in that the vertical guide slit 210 is formed, the microneedle is changed from horizontal to vertical, and the microneedle is vertically dropped through the discharge hole 220 formed at the bottom
delete The method of claim 1,
In the step (S-4) of passing the reflow device through; in a state in which the PCB substrate and the microneedle are coupled, the pogo pin is further coupled to the top of the PCB board, and the pogo pin passes through the reflow device in the coupled state. Method of assembling medical microneedles

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