Abstract
We describe the development of a photothermal based non-ablative dermal remodelling device consisting of a MEMS fabricated microneedle array patch incorporating gold nanorods at the tips. The microneedle array is inserted into the skin, placing the nanorods directly into the dermis. The array is then illuminated with near-infrared light, exciting surface plasmon resonance in the gold nanorods which is converted to heat at the needle tips. This method can overcome some drawbacks of a radio frequency based non-ablation technique. © 2009 CBMS.