Slashdot Mirror
HP Skin Patch May Replace Needles
Iddo Genuth writes "HP and Crospon have developed a skin patch employing microneedles that barely penetrate the skin. The microneedles can replace conventional injections and deliver drugs through the skin without causing any pain. The skin patch technology also enables delivery of several drugs by one patch and the control of dosage and of administration time for each drug. It has the potential to be safer and more efficient than injections."
I'd like to see someone draw blood through one of those... Should get you the clearest serum ever.
Micro-needles have been part of science fiction for at least 15 years. In Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash , one character has a sedative-filled needle implanted on her cervix in order to incapcitate a rapist.
Finally, the most important star trek technology comes to the real world! Forget all that transporter, holodeck, or warp drive crap; we've got painless injections! woo!
If this patch is reusable it could become the method of choice for heroin addicts.
On the other hand, it would be much safer than using needles.
You can't really share these, I assume.
I just pooped your party.
The skin patch technology also enables delivery of several drugs by one patch and the control of dosage and of administration time for each drug.
Excellent. So when does Soma come out?
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
Last we heard this was in the prototype phase. Btw, the search function is terrible.
Demented But Determined.
If this technology triumphs, the next addition should be sensors that control the release of chemicals taking the current situation into consideration.
For example, a patch could sense the cardiac rhythm and control it chemically. Another could control blood sugar, etc.
What I imagine is someone witnessing a car accident, taking four patches from his car's medikit putting them in different parts of the hurt person and calling an ambulance while the patches stabilize the patient.
Those work through the skin. Transdermal patch
This ones enter through micro needles.
Just add alcohol.
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
This actually sounds kind of like how stinging nettle works. I recently touched some by accident, and I can assure you, the needles on the surface of that leaf are so small that I couldn't feel them at all.
The cocktail of formic acid and histamines contained within the needles, on the other hand, were quite noticeable (ouch!). Of course, I'm assuming that HP is not planning to use this invention to deliver anything that's painful by design.
The new technology is similar to the technology employed in HP's patented process for its inkjet cartridges.
I foresee scores of people walking around with the HP logo tattooed where the patch was. Later the advertising space will be sold to other companies. Attempts to sue will be stymied by the fact that the devices will come with an EULA that clearly states that your skin doesn't belong to you while using the device, and the device can leave residues there. You will be forced to accept the EULA or else die from your sickness, but HP's lawyers will insist that was you "free and informed decision".
Just wait.
Rome taught me patience and assiduous application to detail. Virtues which temper the boldness of great, general views.
So this is great for stuff that you can put in subcutaneously. What about intravenous injections? What about intramuscular? Intraperitoneal? What about substances that are made up of large (several micron) particles, such as the sufur colloid injections used by nuclear medicine studies? Those could get stuck in superfine-gauge needles.
I think it's a little premature to say that this patch will replace conventional injections entirely. It might seem obvious that a patch couldn't really hope to deliver injections into the muscles without penetrating all the layers of skin, but I think it at least bears mentioning.
How is this microneedle-thing different, from eg. this?
You prefer shaved cats? Man, that's kinky.
How do you get the cat to hold still?
Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
Hypodermic needle. Hypo ("under") dermic ("the skin"). Pretty commonplace tool, actually. Cannulae, on the other hand, are used for IVs.
Breakfast served all day!
bla
It is estimated that about 10% of people (including me) have a phobia of needles (trypanophobia). For many people, this phobia is associated with a sudden drop in blood pressure, causing fainting and such, at the time of injection. I know that I am perfectly capable of being fairly calm before getting a shot, and generally don't feel terribly afraid, but will still end up nauseous and probably faint afterwards. So I'm interested in this not so much for the pain reduction, but because this probably wouldn't cause that reaction for me. I'd love not to have to worry about fainting after getting an injection.
Ya know, im not so sure that this is want i want. HP gets enough under my skin as it is ;)
this might be a by product of their printer technology. Just think about it, a low level technician was working one night on an ink injector and notices "hey! I just injected my self with half a gallon of ink and didn't even notice it!". He quickly dies and his manager then presents the idea to re-design their new ink injectors in to drug injectors and makes a cool million on it.