Vaccine Patch Removes Needle Pain

wog777 writes "Researchers led by Mark Prausnitz of Georgia Institute of Technology reported their research on microneedles in Sunday's edition of Nature Medicine. A microneedle contains needles so small you don't even feel them. Attached to a patch like a Band-Aid, the little needles barely penetrate the skin before they dissolve and release their vaccine."

Comments

There's other uses too

[Anonymous Coward]

A citizen needs some calibration? Don't worry, he wont even feel the needle shot!

Re:There's other uses too

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

It does open a few possibilities for practical jokes, though arguably not as many as the anything you can aerosolize and disperse already does...(for instance, has anybody else ever wondered what would happen if one were to crop-dust a heavily populated area with a suitably light-stabilized LSD solution? Or distributed a genetically engineered virus through the ventilation system of the DEA headquarters that spliced in the necessary DNA sequences to make those exposed capable of synthesizing endogenous THC?)

Re:There's other uses too

[gregrah]

has anybody else ever wondered what would happen if one were to crop-dust a heavily populated area with a suitably light-stabilized LSD solution? Or distributed a genetically engineered virus through the ventilation system of the DEA headquarters that spliced in the necessary DNA sequences to make those exposed capable of synthesizing endogenous THC?

You, sir, have just posted your way in a very exclusive database somewhere deep in the basement of the Department of Homeland security.

Re:There's other uses too

[Nursie]

I have actually, yes. Not that I have access to LSD, and the virus thing sounds somewhat fanciful, but yes.

I also wondered what might happen if you spread a whole lot of cannabis seed over a large area and just let it grow. Unfortunately I'm told the results would be pretty useless due to the female plants only really producing when there are no males around to fertilise them.

Re:There's other uses too

[lxs]

"capable of synthesizing endogenous THC?"

Evolution is way ahead of you: endocannabinoids

Re:There's other uses too

[snowgirl]

BRAIN STAPLES for everyone!

Re:There's other uses too

[dangitman]

for instance, has anybody else ever wondered what would happen if one were to crop-dust a heavily populated area with a suitably light-stabilized LSD solution?

Things would get very groovy very quickly. George Clinton would be elected President. Your funk of choice would be the P-Funk.

Re:There's other uses too

[Ogive17]

No, but I've thought about beating the shit out of someone who tried to drug me as a prank.

Re:There's other uses too

[MBCook]

for instance, has anybody else ever wondered what would happen if one were to crop-dust a heavily populated area with a suitably light-stabilized LSD solution?

That has basically happened in France, thanks to the CIA.

Re:There's other uses too

[ACS Solver]

has anybody else ever wondered what would happen if one were to crop-dust a heavily populated area with a suitably light-stabilized LSD solution

Someone certainly has wondered. Read up on CIA project MKULTRA. Included exposing unsuspecting people to LSD and forcibly creating morphine addictions in people. Really, some of the stuff done under that project would make the Nazis proud.

Re:There's other uses too

[MatthewCCNA]

You, sir, have just posted your way in a very exclusive database somewhere deep in the basement of the Department of Homeland security.

As your post contained that same data, you my find your was to the same database. Just to ensure national security I'm sure someone at DHS is recording every IP that viewed the dangerous information and is preparing a round of illegal wiretaps. Hey look a black helicopter, what's with this strange red dot?

Re:There's other uses too

[tehcyder]

has anybody else ever wondered what would happen if one were to crop-dust a heavily populated area with a suitably light-stabilized LSD solution?

Have you never wondered why it's sometimes a good idea to post as an Anonymous Coward?

Re:There's other uses too

[Yamata no Orochi]

-1 Internet Tough Guy.

Re:There's other uses too

[chooks]

As your post contained that same data, you my find your was to the same database. Just to ensure national security I'm sure someone at DHS is recording every IP that viewed the dangerous information and is preparing a round of illegal wiretaps. Hey look a black helicopter, what's with this strange red dot?

You had the whole set up but missed the punchline:

...Hey look a black helicopter, what's with this strange red dot? At any rate, I highly douQ!##0!XQ. ATZ+++ NO CARRIER

Re:There's other uses too

[f3rret]

Really, some of the stuff done under that project would make the Nazis proud.

Well that's mainly because a bunch of the people running the MKULTRA experiments were running the same experiments under The Third Reich.

Re:There's other uses too

[Anonymous Coward]

Probably an MS Access db.

Re:There's other uses too

[f3rret]

BRAIN STAPLES for everyone!

The correct reference is 'nerve staples'.

  At least if you're referencing Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri

Re:There's other uses too

[MatthewCCNA]

You had the whole set up but missed the punchline:

...Hey look a black helicopter, what's with this strange red dot? At any rate, I highly douQ!##0!XQ. ATZ+++ NO CARRIER

If the post ended with NO CARRIER, then who would have hit Preview and then Submit, I doubt that assassins after crossing Lake Ontario and assassinating me would have bothered to submit my post, unless they waited for a reply then replied to it as me to divert suspicion from them. That will be all citizens, go about you day completely unaware of your puppet-masters true identity and drink lost of Sprite, this months black ops sponsor.

Re:There's other uses too

[The_mad_linguist]

Typically Candlejack is nice enough to hit submit for people who get inter-

Re:There's other uses too

[aywwts4]

Yup, and that exclusive database in question is the "Promising Potential Recruits" files, expect a job offer in the mail shortly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKULTRA#LSD

Re:There's other uses too

[operagost]

Look, if he was dropping, he wouldn't bother to send 'NO CARRIER'. He'd just do it!

Re:There's other uses too

[operagost]

And Goebbels learned how to use propaganda from Woodrow Wilson. Isn't the free exchange of ideas grand?

Re:There's other uses too

[An ominous Cow art]

Perhaps he was dictating.

Re:There's other uses too

[Khyber]

"Unfortunately I'm told the results would be pretty useless due to the female plants only really producing when there are no males around to fertilise them."

Which is total nonsense.

I grow and breed the stuff for the Dutch genetics preservation programs. Yield is dependent upon genetics.

THC content, on the other hand, is not close to being gene-dependent. That is almost wholly dependent upon the amount of blue-UV irradiation the plant receives and is maybe 10% genetics (which determines which cannabinoids will be found in the plant. For example, Asian landraces are loaded with THCV, not THCA.)

Re:There's other uses too

[Anonymous Coward]

Not aerosol, but spiking the D.C. water supply was a plot point in a 1968 movie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_in_the_Streets#Plot_summary
You may have heard a tune from that.
http://google.com/search?q=%22+Max.Frost.and.the.Troopers%22+%22+Nothing.Can.Change.the.Shape.of.Things.to.Come%22&hl=all
...and someone else has linked to the 1951 episode in France where Ergot was the cover story.

gewg_

Re:There's other uses too

[StikyPad]

Like everything else, it's not as exclusive as it used to be. :(

Re:There's other uses too

[StikyPad]

Most people, yes, though perhaps not with the same Rube Goldbergois.

Re:There's other uses too

[c6gunner]

Yah, because anything that H P Albarelli Jr pulls out of his ass is guaranteed to be true.

Re:There's other uses too

[snowgirl]

Pff... someone sounds too pedantic... would you like a free nerve staple? That will make you feel all better...

No? Well, ok, I'll give you a free one anyways, as a sample!

Re:There's other uses too

[Anonymous Coward]

No, but I've thought about beating the shit out of someone who tried to drug me as a prank.

I know a guy who had acid dropped on him and he almost lost his mind because of it. He was not a druggie at all and had no idea what was going on. Not cool at all.

Re:There's other uses too

[ps2os2]

No they would have known he was going to post it and knew your were going to respond.

Does it work in reverse?

[XanC]

Can a blood sample be taken this way?

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[WED Fan]

Paranoia strikes deep.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Chazerizer]

No. Blood must be drawn directly from the venous system (or arterial system, depending on the goal). At that depth, there aren't even that many capillaries.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[virgilcaine]

You're on the right track

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Anonymous Coward]

Unless it's administered by microneedle.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Dunbal]

Your average red blood cell is around 10 micrometers thick. White blood cells are even bigger. This would probably make the "needles" big enough to hurt like hell - so no, it would defeat the purpose. Besides, kids are the only ones who cry when getting a blood sample taken. But they'll cry when they see a stranger coming up to them in a white lab coat anyway, needle or not.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Reilaos]

If they barely penetrate the skin, I don't think that there would be enough bloodflow to do anything. Maybe if the blood samples we needed were ridiculously small. Like an efficient blood sugar meter or something. Most typical things requiring a blood sample need a significantly larger amount, the sort that takes poking at arteries in your arm.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[iCEBaLM]

I can assure you sir, that it is not just kids who cry at the thought of needles piercing their skin. As one with such a phobia I hope this technology makes it into practice ASAP.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[blai]

well no, I used to cry to that because it felt like something is getting sucked out of my blood vessels, which was definitely what taking a blood sample involves.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[demonlapin]

If you'd ever had an arterial stick, you'd know. It's a whole different ballgame from the venous ones. For starters, the arteries are deeper and less numerous.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Reilaos]

I figured I got it wrong. I just sort of guessed based on the direction they stuck the needle in. So the needle points upstream, then?

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Dunbal]

It's never nice to have someone not take your phobia seriously.

I have absolutely no problem with needles - in fact I have locally anesthetized myself and performed minor surgery on myself (yes I am a doctor) on more than one occasion. But then again I cannot bear the sight of spiders... To each their own!

The good side is that if you can deliver a virus (or virus fragments) this way, you can deliver pretty much anything else, too. The down side is how much will it cost versus current methods. Hypodermics are very cheap. And of course there will always be practical limits - nothing will ever replace two short large bore catheters, or a central line for that matter, in certain situations...

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Yosho]

As somebody else who has a phobia of needles, I'll chip in that I desperately wish this kind of thing could work in reverse. The number one reason why I avoid going to a doctor whenever possible is because I know they're going to want to use a needle to inject or draw something, and I'd rather just cut my hand open with a knife and let them scoop the blood up than have a needle draw blood. Seriously.

But it would be really cool if I could at least get vaccinations through just applying a patch.

(and I think some kinds of spiders are pretty cute)

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Dunbal]

Well if needles are a problem and you just need routine blood work, you could probably negotiate capillary puncture with your doctor, instead of a needle. That's done with a lancet - like a mini knife - that cuts you with a spring mechanism. It happens so fast you really don't feel any pain at all. It's usually used on small children but there's no reason why it won't work on an adult. No needles involved.

For injections, however, you're out of luck - sorry!

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[aronschatz]

I'm 27 and I still get freaked when I need to have blood taken from me. Any needle really does it. In fact, the last time I had a blood test, my body just shut down and stopped pumping blood. The nurse couldn't get the second vial filled before I told her I was about to pass out.

It was a weird feeling, but I didn't pass out. Crazy stuff.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Mr. Freeman]

"in fact I have locally anesthetized myself and performed minor surgery on myself (yes I am a doctor)"

I've removed splinters as well. Of course, I didn't use an anesthetic because I'm not a doctor.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Lotana]

For injections, however, you're out of luck - sorry!

Perhaps use one of those air-forced-through-the-skin injection methods (Name escapes me). Hurts just as much if not more than the traditional way, but meets his no-needle requirement.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Runaway1956]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Mr. Freeman]

"the last time I had a blood test, my body just shut down and stopped pumping blood"

You're an idiot. If your heart actually stopped (which is the only way your body can "just stop pumping blood") then you would have been told so after the doctors where you were restarted it. You don't just have your heart stop, "feel like you're about to pass out", and then feel just fine after the needle is taken out.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Chaos Incarnate]

Jet injector, aka a hypospray.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[techno-vampire]

It happens so fast you really don't feel any pain at all.

Keep telling yourself that; you might fool yourself into believing it. I'm diabetic. Right now, I use those lancets twice a day to test my blood glucose. I also give myself insulin every morning. Guess which one hurts more. One hint: it's not the hypo.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Dunbal]

Keep telling yourself that; you might fool yourself into believing it.

      The perception of pain is subjective. Your mileage may vary. I've had open heart surgery, among other things, so I've been poked and prodded quite a few times too. Frankly I have no problem injecting myself, gluteus (a bit difficult to do on myself but I have managed), abdomen or deltoid. Try a chest tube because you have a tension pneumothorax due to Dressler's syndrome one day, and drain 3L in 5 minutes. Then you will know pain.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Wyatt Earp]

Bull.

I had daily blood draws for WBC/RBC/Platelets for five years when I had ALL.

Three times a week from the vein for liver functions.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[tuttleturtle42]

There is a wide range of settings for those - I remember the few times I had lancets used on me (between about 8 and 15) I felt no pain. However, my dad also had put them on the lowest setting, a setting which would not work on his fingers.

I would say that it is possible to make them not hurt, depending on the person, however if you need to do so often then the scar tissue does make you need to use a higher setting which will hurt more. Also, that is assuming that you need no more blood than to test your blood glucose levels (that is all that was being tested in the few cases where I had one used on me)

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Wyatt Earp]

Only kids huh?

I hate needles, especially vein punctures, since I had ALL as a kid. Hell I have a hormone blood draw at 9am tomorrow and I'm dreading it.

Yes I have Needle Phobia and I'm in the thirties, alot of adults have it, especially cancer survivors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trypanophobia
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/story?id=4072974&page=1

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Wyatt Earp]

People who suffer from vasovagal trypanophobia fear the sight, thought, or feeling of needles or needle-like objects. The primary symptom of vasovagal trypanophobia is vasovagal syncope, or fainting due to a decrease of blood pressure.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Unless the blood work being done specifically precludes it for some reason, a doctor might also be open to prescribing a short-acting anxiolytic for the procedure. One of the faster benzodiazapenes, or the like.

Not a perfect solution; but they use those against anxiety and panic disorders for a reason...

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Wyatt Earp]

A human RBC is between 6 and 8 micrometers in diameter and 2 micrometers thick.

WBCs range from 6-7 to 16 micrometers in diameter with macrophages being 21 micrometers in diameter.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[techno-vampire]

Then you will know pain.

No thanks, I've already had enough experience with it. Two broken bones and several kidney stones were enough. I've been testing my bg for eight years, finally went on insulin back in May. If you do it just right, you literally don't feel the hypo; if not, there's a little sting. About the only way to handle the lancets and blood test is to learn not to mind the fact that it's going to hurt, every time.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[techno-vampire]

if you need to do so often then the scar tissue does make you need to use a higher setting

I was able to keep the unit set to 3.5 from the time I started using it in March '02, right up until I started insulin. Now, for some reason, it's up to 4. It always hurt, just not quite as much as it does now. As Lawrence said, "The trick is not minding that it hurts."

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[mysidia]

No pain? hell... why isn't its use standard and in preference to needles, then?

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[prionic6]

in fact I have locally anesthetized myself and performed minor surgery on myself (yes I am a doctor) on more than one occasion.

Appendectomy?

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Anonymous Coward]

Mod parent down as un-educated fuckwit who's wrong on all counts.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Anonymous Coward]

No, YOU'RE the IDIOT.

In fact, you're part of the problem.

via wikipedia: "Although most phobias are dangerous to some degree, trypanophobia is one of the few that actually kills. In cases of severe trypanophobia, the drop in blood pressure caused by the vasovagal shock reflex may cause death. In Dr. Hamilton's 1995 review article on needle phobia, he was able to document 23 deaths as a direct result of vasovagal shock during a needle procedure"

Attitudes like yours get people killed... idiot!

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[snowgirl]

No pain? hell... why isn't its use standard and in preference to needles, then?

Because it draws only so much blood. Some blood tests require more blood to run their tests. I know off hand that clotting tests require the blood to be extracted into a vacuum.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[dunkelfalke]

That's strange, for me a lancet (that of a glucose meter) hurted more than a needle pushed into the vein.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Anonymous Coward]

Exactly right, except that adults, even athletes, may pass out when a blood sample is drawn. Or so said the guy who was taking samples at my Army physical. And I'm not talking about a full blood donation.

I have to wonder how much money was pissed away developing this stuff, which cqn only lead to allay a second's pain.

As a diabetic, I will admit that I at one time had a problem with doing the finger stick to check my blood glucose level. Strangely, by the time I got on insulin, the injections didn't even bother me. I occasionally get a sting when I do them (twenty years later), but it's not a big deal.

Since I have to get (at least) monthly blood tests for other reasons, I have gotten to where I grade the phlebotomists (Greek for vein cutters) in the lab. If I can watch the needle go in and not (or barely) feel it, they get an A.

I also volunteer when they ask if it's OK for s student or a new phlebotomist to take my blood sample. I figure it's better me than someone who is spooked by the whole procedure.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Anonymous Coward]

But then again I cannot bear the sight of spiders... To each their own!

Just think of insects as hypodermic needles with legs and wings.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[AmiMoJo]

I don't have a phobia but I still hate needles to the point of having dental work done without an anaesthetic. Actually in that case it was my hatred of having a numb mouth for 6 hours as much as my issues with needles.

How about using something similar to what animals that suck blood use to anaesthetise their victims? Mosquitoes manage to draw blood while you are asleep without waking you.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[demonlapin]

The needles point toward the center of the body even if it's venous blood you want. The only reason to get arterial blood is 1) to place a special catheter for measuring blood pressure from beat to beat rather than with a cuff every few minutes, or 2) to run some specialized labs. For IVs, you want them pointing to the center so that you can administer fluids and drugs.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[vlm]

Jet Injector

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_injector

Interestingly enough most people insist that it's based off the star trek hypospray machine, yet its actually the reverse, the hypospray is based off the jet injector.

It's been half a century and they're still not popular. Mainly because of cleaning issues, you still have cleaning/sterilization tasks but instead of cheap mass produced hypos you have a complicated machine. But secondarily, yes indeed they do hurt like unholy hell for a couple days. I got several vaccinations from jet injectors at reception station immediately before army basic training in the early 90s. "Tough Army Dudes" will put up with the pain but I can see how children would not tolerate it.

Also, from experience, its pretty brutal and a couple drops of "stuff" leaks back out the entrance hole. Admittedly its not a .45 caliber entrance wound here, its like the hole from a lancet. But I wonder what percentage injected leaks back out again.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[blue_teeth]

My mom does ear piercing herself (with plain sterilized needles). I've seen her making multiple punctures like ....."Oops it doesn't align, let me make a new hole"!! Guess she has very high pain threshold.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[selven]

I've put splinters in. Without anesthetic, because I am a warrior.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[David_W]

About the only way to handle the lancets and blood test is to learn not to mind the fact that it's going to hurt, every time.

Get an alternate site meter. Yes, fingertips hurt like hell, but I can barely feel it if I test on my arm.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[smchris]

I don't cry but I've been known to faint. Does that count? Really sick as a kid with a _lot_ of shots and blood taken over about 6 years. Trust me, the needles they already have for shots designed for the comfort of diabetes are tiny compared to the pig stabbers of decades ago. You could probably fit two or three of them through the bore of a reusable old autoclave needle.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know who you've had do your capillary punctures, but I want to meet them. Seriously, I'd rather get blood drawn for labs than have a capillary puncture as it hurts! I've had it down by at least 4 different people in various medical settings so I always assumed it was just the procedure. Maybe I've just had people bad at doing them.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[tehcyder]

As somebody else who has a phobia of needles, I'll chip in that I desperately wish this kind of thing could work in reverse. The number one reason why I avoid going to a doctor whenever possible is because I know they're going to want to use a needle to inject or draw something, and I'd rather just cut my hand open with a knife and let them scoop the blood up than have a needle draw blood. Seriously.

What you need is an anaesthetic before having the needle injection.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[pnewhook]

Then you will know pain.

Ha! Try spontaneous decapitation. Now THATS pain. One day while trying to fix some really bad code from an ex-software guy I kicked off my program, my head literally ripped itself off my body out of sheer frustration. Took three doctors, five nurses and a wolverine to put everything back in it proper spot.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[mcgrew]

Did you even read the summary? It says quite plainly that the microneedles dissolve.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Dunbal]

I've had a patient go into shock during routine bloodwork. I'm in the middle of talking to him and boom he keels over onto the exam table he was sitting on. I've never put a catheter in as fast as I did that day. My assistant was impressed to say the least :) A couple litres of saline later, and the guy was fine. You speak the truth - it's dangerous.

The heart doesn't stop but it slows down to a dangerously slow rate. The body compensates by dumping a bunch of epinephrine and norepinephrine into the bloodstream in an attempt to maintain the blood pressure. In a healthy person who manages to survive the head injury due to the fall on the ground once they become unconscious there's usually no problem, consciousness is soon regained. In a person with an unhealthy heart (read - your average person over 30) the massive kick of adrenergics can cause a fatal dysrhythmia.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Shakrai]

That's done with a lancet - like a mini knife - that cuts you with a spring mechanism. It happens so fast you really don't feel any pain at all. It's usually used on small children but there's no reason why it won't work on an adult. No needles involved.

I'm with the people who are afraid of needles and those damn things bother me more than the actual needle. Waiting for that spring to fire just sucks. I donate blood regularly and I hate that finger-prick for the iron count more than the IV.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[mcgrew]

I don't have a phobia about needles, but they do make me uncomfortable. Not watching usually does the trick for me, but if it were a full blown phobia I'm not sure how well that would work.

It also wouldn't work for something like pennicillin, which has to be injected deeply into muscle tissue and is probably too thick for microneedles.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Anonymous Coward]

You're on crack...

We had these in grade school, all the way through,
and not one kid in the entire school felt any pain at all, not even once.

I experienced this myself through school, they were the most wondrous technology I've ever seen!

I keep wondering when the hell the rest of society is going to catch up and use these things.

and your BS about sterilizing them is just so much junk! you don't do the whole machine, you do the tip that comes in contact with the skin.

at our school they dropped the tips into a cleaning solution that used ultrasound, instantly sterilized...

anyhow, through all the years of enduring this (ha!) I only once felt a bit of discomfort about a day later,
but that was mostly because my "buddy" punched me in the arm in the exact spot...

so grow up you wuss!

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Dunbal]

several kidney stones were enough

      Poor you. Worst. Pain. Ever.

      But diabetic AND kidney stones? Yikes, I hope you're taking good care of yourself because otherwise those kidneys aren't going to last too long... talk about a two pronged attack...

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[techno-vampire]

But diabetic AND kidney stones?

No, at least not at first. I was diagnosed with Type II when they were trying to find out what caused my first stone.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Anonymous Coward]

(oh, incidentally): In addition to chemically damping some of the less pleasant psychological and physiological symptoms of freaking out(freaking out, heart racing, sweating, adrenaline overload, etc.) they can actually have longer term benefits.

For many people, part of what makes facing the object of their phobia difficult is anticipating all the unpleasant reactions that are going to happen. If you chemically damp those reactions, then they don't happen, or happen much more weakly. Then, the next time, your anticipation is less terrifying; because last time wasn't actually all that bad. If your anticipation is better, and you have another dose, your experience is likely to be less traumatic still. The time after that, you might anticipate virtually no trouble at all, and thus not freak out.

Even if that doesn't happen, benzos are old drugs, so they are pretty cheap, the side effects aren't that scary, and their habit forming potential is minimal if used occasionally for specific purposes. So, if you end up popping one 30 minutes before each injection/blood draw, it's hardly the end of the world. The fact that, through desensitization and exposure, they may(or may not, success rate isn't 100%; but exposure therapy works fairly well) actually help cure you of your phobia is just icing on the cake...

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Khyber]

"No. Blood must be drawn directly from the venous system (or arterial system, depending on the goal). At that depth, there aren't even that many capillaries.'

Let me apply that patch to your cheek. Watch how fast you bleed.

I was a labrat for those when they first introduced these types of patches for nicotine polacrilex delivery. They will make you bleed depending upon where they are placed. Top of the feet, tops of the hands, cheeks, neck, the thinner skin near your genital area, inside your elbow, the locations you can successfully bleed from from nanometers-thick cuts are numerous, and usually thin-skinned.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Khyber]

"No needles involved."

Depends on the lancet manufacturer. The ones I had for capillary puncture were actual needles, not knives. Round, tapered, pointy. No edges.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[techno-vampire]

Who does it on the fingertips? That's stupid! You do it on the side of the finger, near the nail. Not only is it less sensitive, you're not constantly irritating the site. And, I get my supplies from the VA and use what they give me.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Uzuri]

Honestly, I'm not afraid of needles, but those damned dental needles are far worse than just getting drilled without. I always end up with a sore from those things that lasts for weeks -- going without the dope means I hurt in sudden sharp stabs distributed over 10 minutes. I can tell you which I like better.

Of course, there's some fun in watching the dentist wince every time he uses the drill, too >:)

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[Capt.DrumkenBum]

I have a major phobia about needles. To the extent that I can not watch someone get an injection on TV. For me the phobia manifests itself when I see the needle, so I can overcome it easily, by telling the person giving me the shot, that I can not see the needle. The last time I saw the needle, was for a blood test, I blacked out and when I came back to my senses I was 3 blocks away and very out of breath.
The dentist is the worst, even thought they swab the area with a local anesthetic, it makes no difference.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[StikyPad]

Similarly, I have used anesthetic. Without splinters, because I am a junkie.

Re:Does it work in reverse?

[elwing]

As another needlephobe - I've found that you can ask all you want for capillary puncture, the docs just tell you they can't do it that way and to suck it up and act like an adult. Until I got pregnant, I had a double dose of Xanax or valium to get me to submit to a blood draw. They don't like giving those drugs to pregnant women, so my care providers and I have a "plan" for my issue. It really does make me feel better just knowing that my midwives are aware of my issues and are willing to work with me. Find a provider that is willing to work with you and whatever coping mechanisms you need - whether that's an anti-anxiety drug or a trusted friend.

Hypospray.

[Sasayaki]

Another idea seemingly ripped straight from Star Trek and made into reality. As someone who just recently ordered their custom tailored Star Trek uniform (grey shoulders/coloured neck style), I heartily approve of this trend! Let's have replicators next, please.

*Disclaimer: Yes, I know that lots of tiny needs are not how hyposprays work, but please. The end result is close enough.

Re:Hypospray.

[Sasayaki]

*needles.

Re:Hypospray.

[Reilaos]

Maybe if we made a means of spraying small clouds of microneedles... Though that sounds much more like an amusing weapon than a means of healing someone.

Re:Hypospray.

[compro01]

We already have hyposprays. They're called jet injectors. They actually predate star trek (they were invented in 1960) and have been used for decades for vaccinations, particularly polio vaccinations in Africa. A diabetic friend of mine also uses one for his insulin.

Re:Hypospray.

[mirix]

They are also incredibly bad-ass, but they still make kids cry.

Re:Hypospray.

[pushing-robot]

It reminds me more of the fast-acting transdermal patches that Babylon 5 was fond of.

Oh, and: SPOILER ALERT. Sorta.

Re:Hypospray.

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

My understanding is that(at least in tropical medicine and military applications) the point isn't really that they are less painful than needles(and, even if they are, having some guy hold a big nasty-looking device up to your arm and make a pneumatic wh-thunk sound isn't calculated to give kiddo sweet dreams) its that they are much faster and more efficient and cheap.

Because there is no needle(which is either an expensive FRU or a temptation to ill-equipped medical staff in the ass-end of nowhere to wash out and re-use until it is blunt), you can skip all the fancy western hospital one-time-use assemblies that would be impractical in the field; but avoid the cross-contamination that occurs if you share needles. Depending on the design, there might be a simple pneumatic tip that gets replaced each use; but it makes lining up an entire village somewhere and pumping them full of vaccine much more logistically feasible.

Re:Hypospray.

[Anonymous Coward]

however some people say they cause serious enough to prevent their use whereas I'm not sure this one can. http://www.mendosa.com/injector.htm

Re:Hypospray.

[Animats]

As someone who just recently ordered their custom tailored Star Trek uniform...

Uh oh.

We already have hyposprays. They're called jet injectors. They actually predate star trek (they were invented in 1960) and have been used for decades for vaccinations...

The US used to have mass inoculation campaigns using those things. The U.S. Army used them for decades. Worked fine. The latest generation of the technology is small, battery-powered, and uses reusable cartridges. The problem is that either the whole thing has to be disposable, which gets expensive, or it has to be re-sterilized, which requires support equipment and careful handling.

Re:Hypospray.

[Scrameustache]

Another idea seemingly ripped straight from Star Trek

It's "derms" from Neuromancer, you philistine.

Derm
An adhesive patch applied to the skin in order to transmit a drug transdermally.

Re:Hypospray.

[Runaway1956]

Yeah, I went to boot camp in 1975. We spent uncounted hours in line to get inoculations. A number of them were done with those jet injectors, but many were done with needles. That "A" shot was the killer. It had to go into a buttock, it had to go in deep, and they used a HUGE frigging needle. And, after they injected the stuff, you had to work out, to get the gob of stuff to circulate, or it would just stay right there, and make your lower body stiffen up.

At least that's the story they told us. I think it was just an excuse to torture a captive audience. Or, to weed out the weenies. Whatever. That damned shot HURT!!!

Re:Hypospray.

[Rollgunner]

If the tip is completely free of contaminant and in good repair and the pressure is very carefully regulated, the jet gun is less painful than a needle. If the previous conditions are *not* met, it can be far more painful than a standard injection, as the (relatively) slow moving jet of liquid deforms slightly on impact and then tears through your skin.

I remember seeing one that had a foot pedal attached for repressurizing the reservoir in the field... I imagine getting shots from *that* was a treat!

Re:Hypospray.

[bertoelcon]

Though that sounds much more like an amusing weapon than a means of healing someone.

A gun that shoots healing? Genius!

Re:Hypospray.

[Psaakyrn]

Now we just need it to fire in blue or red rays for observational purposes..

Re:Hypospray.

[vlm]

They are also incredibly bad-ass, but they still make kids cry.

Because they hurt like hell for a couple days. After all, you're being shot, admittedly with a small caliber liquid bullet.

The kid is crying because the kid saw other kids crying the day after their vaccination.

Its interesting that for me, needles only hurt while they're stabbing you, afterwards its unnoticeable, whereas my experience with jet injectors is that the injection itself hurts less than a playful punch, but a few minutes later the pain from tissue damage starts and it continues for about a day.

Maybe they've improved, but a diabetic that jet-injectored themselves a couple times a day would pretty much be in continuous agony.

Its would be VERY interesting to study jet injector anxiety vs needle anxiety. I don't like needles at all, not even so much because of the (slight) pain, but watching them methodically approach me and cut me up (on a very small scale). Sort of the extreme opposite reaction compared to those chicks whom like to cut themselves. On the other hand, in my experience, jet injectors hurt like unholy hell, so I'd much rather take the needle. Based on the theory that it's pain avoidance, I would predict that given wide distribution and wide public experience that eventually there would be more people with jet injector anxiety than needle anxiety. On the other hand, if its freaking out about having things stuck into your body, then jet injectors, despite the considerable pain, would win out.

Re:Hypospray.

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Theoretically speaking, a foot pedal + reasonably sized reservoir kept sufficiently above working pressure + output regulator could be just as workable as either a compressor driven system, or something based on compressed gas cartridges. In practice, I'm assuming it goes something like this:

Foot Pedal Guy: *sweating like a pig* "This bloody sucks. It's, like, 106 in the shade, ambient humidity that would drown anything without gills, and the only way to distinguish the beer from the piss is that the former is warmer."

Medical Injection Dude: *experienced look* "Eh, the manual says 'Ensure that a reservoir pressure of at least Y PSI, but not more than Z PSI, is maintained at all times during injector use'. Y'know, though, don't knock yourself out. Kids have thin skins, and their alternative is getting smallpox, X PSI is totally good enough..."

Re:Hypospray.

[Reilaos]

Zank you, herr doktor!

Re:Hypospray.

[Weedhopper]

I've done/coordinated emergency mass vaccination campaigns in developing nations (once during a simultaneous outbreak of measles and meningitis in the same region).

One-time-use assemblies are currently more practical, safer and logistically feasible for field use than jet injectors for a number of reasons, depending on the needs and conditions.

With one time use assemblies, you need only ship one way and can teach the mentality that anything that's used (save cold chain and crowd control gear) needs to be discarded. Nothing is re-used. This is particularly important in reducing confusion and increasing efficiency with poorly trained local health staff.

With single-use, there's absolutely no need for sterilization equipment, to account for maintenance, support equipment, loss of equipment and half dozen other issues. With specialized injectors, the rate of vaccination is limited by the number of functioning injectors. With single use, the rate is limited by how many people can be trained and supervised to implement assembly line vaccination points or the number of cold chains can be maintained.

The single use syringes used in modern mass vaccination campaigns are generally auto disable and go directly into the disposable sharps boxes as a part of the disposal process, collected at the end of the day, then in turn disposed of in the sharps burn pit. Little to no possibility of re-use, thus much less risk of cross contamination - which was the reason that jet-syringes fell out of use in the first place.

There may be again be a time when jet-syringes become more practical and safe but for now, the mass vaccination process via needles has been refined enough to the point where it's efficiency and safety is hard to beat.

Re:Hypospray.

[Ungrounded Lightning]

... you can skip all the fancy western hospital one-time-use assemblies that would be impractical in the field;

Expensive? They're a machine-built assembly of plastic, synthetic rubber, and metal, cheap as the dirt they carefully don't contain.

At commercial pharmacies in the US, disposable intramuscular syringes sell for about 33 cents in lots of ten. I believe subcutaneous syringes are even cheaper. (And most of that price is the red tape involved with keeping the government happy that you have a prescription for them.) Expect them to be far cheaper yet in the large lots involved in a countrywide immunization program.

And when you're packaging an injectable formulation it may be cheaper yet to do it as ready-to-use preloaded syringes than as a supply bottle plus a comparable count of unloaded syringes. The only practical difference between a preloaded and an unloaded syringe is that the machinery squirted a measured quantity of the formulation into the barrel before inserting the plunger and sealing the syringe into the wrapper. This is not more complicated than a non-loading syringe line plus a bottle loader line.

Re:Hypospray.

[Weedhopper]

Disposable auto-disable syringes cost roughly 7 eurocents in the quantities a person needs for a mass vacc campaign.

Preloading is a bad idea, because it increases the bulk of items to be held within the cold chain. Vaccine dilution and solvent mixing is best done at the vaccination point for least wastage. Usually, it's easier to hire and train a person to do this on site as a part of the vaccination line than trying to refrigerate hundreds of thousands of individually packaged doses.

As I'd pointed out in my earlier response to fuzzyfuzzyfungus, the economic and logistical argument for jet-injectors usually doesn't make much sense.

Paranoid Much

[WED Fan]

Ah, someone who listens to Alex Jones and buys his hats in the sandwich wrap aisle.

Hmmmm

[AndrewBC]

I remember seeing an article about this idea in a popular science magazine years and years ago. Glad to see it's still around for those who hate needles.

Re:Hmmmm

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, like 15 years ago. Some quick research produced this reference:

S. Hashmi, P. Ling, G. Hashmi, M. Reed, R. Gaugler, W. Trimmer, Genetic transformation of nematodes using arrays of micromechanical piercing structures, BioTechniques 19(1995) 766-770.

more references in http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/microneedles-revolution-transdermal-drug-delivery

...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[level_headed_midwest]

Immunizations are certainly the number one reason why children between the ages of about 9 months and six years hate going to the doctor and will kick and scream and flail as soon as they see anybody come into the exam room with a stethoscope. Vaccine patches would be great, particularly if they made it look like a sticker (which are second only to popsicles in the ability to placate an irritated youngster). Now if they'd only figure out a way to make looking in the ears and mouth easier, we'd be set!

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[Chazerizer]

There's really only one answer to the ears and mouth problem, which also happens to be one of my all time favorite pick-up lines: "Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?"

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[level_headed_midwest]

I think you'll get the same response in both cases: "There he is, Officers! Don't let him get away!"

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[Anonymous Coward]

Putting the "sensual" back in "non-consensual" :)

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[Runaway1956]

You give the kid a pretty patch, he admires the picture, slaps it on his arm, falls asleep, and you can spend the next 10, 20, or 30 minutes poking and prodding. Problem solved, right?

Errr - maybe not. The little brat will tell all his friends at daycare about the patch that made him sleepy, and the next batch of brats will cry when you offer them a patch.

Why do people keep having kids, anyway? They are such great pains! *

* Disclaimer - I have three little brats of my own, and I STILL want to know why people keep having kids! ;^)

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[Lord_of_the_nerf]

The CIA and movie kidnappers and people under interrogation also rejoice!

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[Anonymous Coward]

Stick your kids with a needle every day from the time they are born and you won't have this problem.

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[jewswithbacon]

Going to take you down to uncle touchey's naked puzzle basement.

UNCLE TOUCHEY'S NA-KED PUZ-ZLE BASE-MENT! You won't wear a shirt and you'll cry!

I sent that to Bob Seger and he still hasn't called me back.

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[vlm]

Vaccine patches would be great, particularly if they made it look like a sticker

I hope it adsorbs quickly. If the sticker is generic or not their favorite character, they immediately peel it off their skin/clothes and throw it away, or if it is their favorite character they immediately peel it off and admire it.

which are second only to popsicles in the ability to placate an irritated youngster

So, put the medication inside the freaking popsicle. Hmm, thats a good idea, medicated popsicles. Wonder why those aren't commercially available? Oh yes, that was patented in 1995. Maybe in a few decades we'll be able to benefit from that idea, but not until then.

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5431915/description.html

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[Threni]

> Oh yes, that was patented in 1995. Maybe in a few decades we'll be able to benefit from that idea, but not until then.

Patent 5431915 Issued on July 11, 1995. Estimated Expiration Date: December 20, 2013.

Yes, only a few decades to go...

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[elrous0]

Well, we could go that way. Or, alternatively, we could just tell them to stop being wussies.

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[boristdog]

Putting the "sensual" back in "non-consensual" :)

I am so stealing that.

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[Capt.DrumkenBum]

I have seen them in my local drug store. Cough and sore throat popsicles.
It is not even a very big drugstore, so I am sure most probably carry them.

Re:...and pediatricians and family docs rejoice!

[Anonymous Coward]

Probably because you stole it from Patton Oswalt

Genius

[Dunbal]

It is often said that true genius is coming up with the idea that makes everyone say "I could have thought of that".

One of the problems with transdermal patches has always been one of controlling dosage. This is because the skin is only permeable to lipids, thanks to layers of keratin on the outside and the basement membrane lying inconveniently just before you get to any blood vessels. So anything that you needed to give your patient via the skin had to be fat-soluble, or it just wouldn't work. And then you have the problems of concentration gradients, skin thickness, how long you leave the patch on, and how "greasy" that person's natural skin is anyway. That makes for a lot of variables in delivery. Which means you can never be exactly sure of the dose.

By piercing through the skin's outer layers into the dermis with a "microneedle", suddenly you've eliminated a few things: 1) You can deliver hydrophyllic substances (like certain viruses or their components, for example) and 2) you can control dosage much much more accurately because you can be sure that what you're delivering is going to make it to the bloodstream versus lying around in the epidermis and or never getting off the patch in the first place.

I foresee that this technology will soon be used for much more than pediatric vaccine delivery and the creators will become very rich indeed. This doctor thinks it's a great idea. In fact the only problem is going to be for those allergic people - with previous patches all they would get is red skin, an itch, and maybe a localized rash. Now they risk a full blown type I allergic reaction.

Re:Genius

[epp_b]

...with previous patches all they would get is red skin, an itch, and maybe a localized rash.

So, basically, someone needs to make sure that both types of patches will co-exist.

Re:Genius

[FlyingBishop]

What's the point of a single-use patch? I had a tetanus shot the other day, and needles are so thin now, I literally felt nothing.

Now, once the shot took the spot on my arm was sore for a few days, but the needle was absolutely painless.

This just seems like a less controlled and more expensive way to do the same thing.

Re:Genius

[Dunbal]

What's the point of a single-use patch?

      You have obviously never had to approach a screaming 2 year old with a needle in your hand. Besides the red face, the 120 decibels, and the snot everywhere, there's that look on the parents' faces that says "you only get one go".

      No but seriously, there are all sorts of applications outside of pediatrics. For example palliative care - terminal patients who need regular medication can just use a patch instead of trying to find someone to inject them every 6 hours or so (ever tried injecting yourself? It can be done but it's not fun - especially when you're weak and/or dying and you can't really remember if you just did it or not). Senior citizens. Diabetics. The sky is the limit. This is something new, and the full implications of this technology haven't been explored yet.

Re:Genius

[EdIII]

You have obviously never had to approach a screaming 2 year old with a needle in your hand.

Yeah... that and a 6'3 415lb body builder with wild eyes being held down by 6 people to have blood drawn with a needle. What I have to tell people is:

1) Don't let me see the needle. Otherwise it's over and you might have some structural problems with the building when I "leave".
2) Somebody needs to put their whole body weight down on my arm when you do it.

Even then it takes every single ounce of will I have to not lose it. It's a real problem. I have to have full anesthesia to get any kind of dental work done. One time a dentist thought I was kidding and surprised me with a needle in the face. My reaction was so severe I cracked his chair backwards trying to get away from it. Damn things are expensive.

I have a family history of diabetes on both sides. So far I have lucked out. I have a legitimate concern about the day I might be forced to use a needle. It would be hell on Earth.

This patch could be life changing, albeit for a very small part of the population, but still life changing.

Re:Genius

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah... that and a 6'3 415lb body builder with wild eyes being held down by 6 people to have blood drawn with a needle.

Do your wild eyes make it harder to hold you down? How wild are they? I mean, do they hunt for their own food? Do they eat things raw? While still kicking and screaming?

Re:Genius

[Saeed al-Sahaf]

When are the psychopaths on Fox News going to take responsibility for getting all the whackos lathered up? No pain, no gain folks! TAKE THE SHOT. There is nothing WRONG with vaccines.

Re:Genius

[TheLink]

> In fact the only problem is going to be for those allergic people
> - with previous patches all they would get is red skin, an itch, and maybe a localized rash.
> Now they risk a full blown type I allergic reaction.

Just curious - does the immune system react to foreign stuff entering the body via the skin surface differently from entering via the digestive system or intramuscular or straight into the bloodstream?

Re:Genius

[oddTodd123]

Yeah... that and a 6'3 415lb body builder with wild eyes being held down by 6 people to have blood drawn with a needle.

Ha! I call B.S. Any real bodybuilder would already be injecting steroids in his ass on a weekly basis!

Re:Genius

[medoc]

You should consider seeing someone about your phobia, and I don't mean a shrink. There are simple therapies which are quite effective. My daughter was liberated from an insect+spider phobia which was becoming a major issue after just a few sessions with a therapist (cant remember the name of the technique he used, something oddly based on eye movements I think, but whatever, you may have to try several before it works)

Re:Genius

[Alarindris]

One time a dentist thought I was kidding and surprised me with a needle in the face. My reaction was so severe I cracked his chair backwards trying to get away from it.

That's pathetic. Suck it up and act like an adult.

Re:Genius

[Wyatt Earp]

Thats an oversimplification of how permeable the skin in for transdermal applications.

Permeability has much more to do with the size of the molecule than if it a lipid or fat soluble.

Re:Genius

[Wyatt Earp]

Theres a difference between an IM and IV injection for the amount of discomfort and panic a patient might exhibit.

I have a needle phobia but I panic from an IV - butterfly needle, tube running out of a hand, blood draw, heroin injection depicted on TV/movies.

IM doesn't bother me much, in fact I give myself steroid injections regularly as part of my replacement therapy.

You can't stick yourself in your ass, you really need to go for the thigh like I do.

Re:Genius

[Wyatt Earp]

I did 5 years of Leukemia chemo, another year of drugs for liver damage, I hate needles and don't need to "suck it up", some people hate the sight and thought of an injection.

You go do 7 finger pricks, 3 IV blood draws, 3 IM injections and an IV of a drug that causes chemical burns every week for 5 years and then come back and tell me I'm "pathetic".

I'll be waiting for it in 2015.

Re:Genius

[LastSaneMan]

That's pathetic. Suck it up and act like an adult.

Now, does that work for all phobias, or just the ones you don't have?

Re:Genius

[EdIII]

Do your wild eyes make it harder to hold you down? How wild are they? I mean, do they hunt for their own food? Do they eat things raw? While still kicking and screaming?

Well... I don't know about any of that. Been told I scare children and bruise fruit, but I think they were talking about my whole face.

Re:Genius

[sharkey]

What's the point of a single-use patch?

What's the point of a single-use needle? The needles are so thin nowadays you can barely feel them. Instead of throwing them away after one use, they should just refill them. Wipe it off, then fill it up for the next patient.

Think about how much money a vaccination clinic could save if everyone just shared needles!

Re:Genius

[thesandtiger]

I'm going to guess that you've tried therapy to get over it, but in case you haven't, there are some treatments that can be quite effective in countering phobias. A few people I know who would have full-blown panic attacks in certain situations (driving, flying, seeing certain animals, and in one case a needle phobia) have been successfully treated and it does seem to be life changing for them. If it's as bad as you say - and it sounds like it's pretty bad for you - it might be worth checking out if you haven't.

Re:Genius

[Dunbal]

Thats an oversimplification

      Well yes, this is a slashdot post and not a doctoral thesis.

Re:Genius

[Dunbal]

Just curious - does the immune system react to foreign stuff entering the body via the skin surface differently from entering via the digestive system or intramuscular or straight into the bloodstream?

      The immune system reacts in different ways - there are now 5 entirely different types of hypersensitivity response. These types of response are not necessarily due to the entry path into the body, but rather due to the allergen involved, previous exposure, time of exposure and the different ways the body can react. But it doesn't matter if you eat it, breathe it or inject it - some substances are more likely to produce one type of allergic reaction over another, some people are genetically predisposed to suffer one type of hypersensitivity over another; but the first rule of medicine is that there are no absolutes. There will always be that patient that doesn't react the way you expected.

      The most dramatic (and immediately life threatening) response is the type I reaction which can kill a person in minutes due to a massive release of histamine. These are the people who die from a single bee sting, peanut, strawberry, etc.

      However such reactions are always DOSE dependent. If you have an irritant on the unbroken surface of your skin, it's unlikely you'll have a "whole body" response because you will be running to wash the stuff off before it happens - the itching and redness (and even blistering) will be obvious. If something is injected, however, there's no way to get rid of it. You've received a full dose, and it's there to stay. Plus since it enters the bloodstream, the allergen is no longer confined to the injection site - it spreads through your whole body. So the same type I reaction happens, but it happens everywhere at once. This is why you always get a penicillin test before getting penicillin - even if you were never previously allergic. It used to be that we'd inject a very very dilute penicillin solution under the skin, but even that could kill you. Now the protocol involves a surface test, where we just rub a dilute solution on your skin and wait to see if a rash develops. If you're ok, then you get the dilute subcutaneous injection. THEN if you're still ok, you get the full dose.

Re:Genius

[Stray7Xi]

Typical vaccines can be shipped as a vial and a batch of needles, where only the vials have special handling. Do these patches have to be shipped prepared from factory, boxes full that need to be refrigerated? Do clinics have all the extra refrigeration space this will take? I see this as a niche item for pediatricians.

Re:Genius

[Anonymous Coward]

... and you can't really remember if you just did it or not ...

how is the patch going to change that?

Re:Genius

[Anonymous Coward]

That's pathetic. Suck it up and act like an adult.

Now, does that work for all phobias, or just the ones you don't have?

Are you kidding? He doesn't have any phobias because he does what adults do and sucks.

Re:Genius

[AioKits]

That's pathetic. Suck it up and act like an adult.

Now, does that work for all phobias, or just the ones you don't have?

Have to agree with LastSaneMan here. Just because you're not bothered doesn't mean someone else can't be. Needles actually don't bother me at all thanks to an assortment of tattoos, body piercings and odd medical workups. Now... Put a spider on me, even a tiny one, I'm gonna flail about to get it off me then bust through the nearest wall like the Kool-Aid man in an effort to get away from it.

Re:Genius

[Sax Maniac]

Not all needles are created equal. Insulin syringes are tiny because it's subcutaneous, not muscular or vascular. Mosquito bites hurt more than an insulin shot. If my 4-year could handle it, you can too.

Re:Genius

[Wyatt Earp]

And yet a lay person like myself knew enough about it to correct you.

It is Slashdot after all.

Re:Genius

[StikyPad]

For male patients (aka, anyone reading this), putting a hot girl in the room will instantly cure any phobia... except perhaps fear of women.

Re:Genius

[StikyPad]

tl;dr

Re:Genius

[Capt.DrumkenBum]

I can't see the needle either. I am not big enough to do structural damage to the building, but have done some minor damage to other people near me when exiting the building. I once tore the arm off the dentists chair trying to get through the pain so I wouldn't have to have another needle. Now I go to a dentist who offers conscious sedation. Expensive, but worth every penny.

Re:Genius

[Ungrounded Lightning]

(ever tried injecting yourself? It can be done but it's not fun - ...

Yes, I have. An intramuscular preparation. Went through the training but only succeeded once - then couldn't bring myself to do it again. (Sat there with needle in hand and cleaned thigh telling myself that I'll do it on the NEXT count of three, over and over.)

Found out later that IM is harder than IV or subcu, and that over a third of those who attempt it can't manage it. Of course they don't mention that until after you find out you're one of the wimpy third of the population. B-(

(IMHO it would have helped if they'd had a three-ring holder for the syringe, like those dentists use for injecting the gums. For IM you need to do a "pull" step to make sure you haven't hit a blood vessel. Given that the instructions include squeezing the muscle with one hand and injecting with the other you need a third hand to do that test if you're not going to let go the "pinch" to pull the plunger out - dragging the muscle sideways against the needle's point and changing the depth of the tip. With the three-ring you could do the "pull" with the thumb of the injecting hand while retaining the steadying "pinch" with the other.)

Re:Genius

[Anonymous Coward]

Curious, you're on /. Do you have a problem with small wires? Pin headers on motherboards?

What size needle? Have a problem with sewing needles? Do you avoid the sewing/tailoring department in stores? Safety pins? Tacks for hanging stuff?

What about thin nails, i.e. brads and the like used in construction?

Or is it the expectation of the pain from a needle that sets you off?

I believe people have phobias, I'm just wondering what the extent of yours is. Some needles, for example, aren't very long at all. The kind the dentist uses for injections, they can be some of the longest and most painful I've seen (when 2 inches goes into your gums to get a nerve, that's always an interesting sensation when you can feel it flex, similar to when an those inches from an IV gets pulled out of your vein).

Re:Genius

[Anonymous Coward]

Even then it takes every single ounce of will I have to not lose it. It's a real problem. I have to have full anesthesia to get any kind of dental work done. One time a dentist thought I was kidding and surprised me with a needle in the face. My reaction was so severe I cracked his chair backwards trying to get away from it. Damn things are expensive.

Instead of only encountering needles in "bad" situations, try donating blood where the insertion is for good.

The first half a dozen times I went, I was squeamish and not very happy about the actual insertion. Took me quite a few visits before I'd even look over that way during the insertion. Fast forward a few years and I'm donating platelets every 3-4 weeks along with whole blood and am perfectly fine with it. Well, most weeks I'm comfortable with it. Enough to watch the nurses.

(Amusingly enough, as I'm writing this the blood center calls me up to remind me to donate.)

Re:Genius

[Anonymous Coward]

Not all needles are created equal. Insulin syringes are tiny because it's subcutaneous, not muscular or vascular. Mosquito bites hurt more than an insulin shot. If my 4-year could handle it, you can too.

I don't see how this patch is going to replace anything other that a subcutaneous shot. Which as you say are not bad. I did them myself for years and rarely felt anything beyond a popping sensation.

Re:Genius

[Anonymous Coward]

Speaking as someone who had a phobia of both: needles and spiders. I can say that there are healthy phobias and realizations that one must come across eventually.

Healthy phobia would be a poisonous spider/pain associated with a needle, that's why most phobias develop; fear of seeing/hearing about a painful incident.

Although I am not speaking to anyone's maturity or manliness: eventually phobias can be broken only if the person wants to. Whether the person wants to break their phobia is what is being insulted.

To this day, I still have a small bit of anxiety with a needle, but knowing that the pain can easily be tolerated and equated to a pinch on the arm, it is more manageable. For spiders, I am hardly affected by the small ones, and would definitely jump at the sight of a black widow; which is justifiable.

Re:Genius

[Anonymous Coward]

They are currently either working on or have released inhaled insulin. So all hope is not lost.

Meh...

[epp_b]

Let the kids suck it up. I did. It builds character.

Now get off my lawn.

Re:Meh...

[roman_mir]

Right, at 3 months she was yelling so loud, some people left the room. At 6 months she really yelled less.

However consider that an injection into the leg muscles of 2 full syringes with 6 vaccines at once is truly painful even for an adult, why should a 3 or 6 months old suck it up?

Re:Meh...

[Anonymous Coward]

No, it's got to be injected into the bloodstream.

Re:Meh...

[Pigeon451]

Minor surgery without anesthesia also builds character. But I'd prefer local anesthesia -- to each their own.

Re:Meh...

[Anonymous Coward]

No it doesn't, you sadistic bastard. Why deliberately inflict pain on a child if you have a less painful option? Making a child take the more painful injection without a good reason is tantamount to abuse. If a child is allowed to go and play normally they'll likely hurt themselves in due course at which point you can encourage them to cope with pain without whining, so why inflict pain on them deliberately?

Slashdot

[oldhack]

Slashdot is turning into a twitter knockoff. How about creating a PR release section?

Gee, thanks.

[Dan East]

So now when the kids misbehave I won't be able to threaten them with shots from the doctor. Takes the fun right out of parenting...

Re:Gee, thanks.

[demonlapin]

On behalf of physicians everywhere who treat kids, I'd like to advise you to go to hell for making your kids think of us as the punishment people. If you want to threaten them with pain, please threaten to do it yourself.

Re:Gee, thanks.

[blai]

Just threaten to punch their teeth off -___-

Re:Gee, thanks.

[Main Gauche]

And here I thought this story was about patients having thin skin...

Re:Gee, thanks.

[cyp43r]

Oh you still can, but now you can offer an alternative as a reward.

Re:Gee, thanks.

[lostsoulz]

Takes the fun right out of parenting...

Wait...what? Parenting is fun?

Re:Gee, thanks.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, dont be down. There are still dentists there :)

Re:Gee, thanks.

[Inda]

I threaten mine with the Children's Home.

Try it sometime. The mental pain lasts longer than the physical.

Re:Gee, thanks.

[dangitman]

And here I thought this story was about patients having thin skin...

If the patients had thin skin, it wouldn't really be an issue, would it? It's the thick skin that's harder to pierce.

Re:Gee, thanks.

[Dan East]

On behalf of people with a sense of humor, I'd like to advise you, ah nevermind, it's not even worth the trouble.

Re:Gee, thanks.

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure, make the parents the bad guys when they have to rip off this needle laden duck tape.

Re:Gee, thanks.

[drinkypoo]

On behalf of physicians everywhere who treat kids, I'd like to advise you to go to hell for making your kids think of us as the punishment people. If you want to threaten them with pain, please threaten to do it yourself.

Over a long enough time-scale, this ought to be a self-correcting problem.

Re:Gee, thanks.

[demonlapin]

You might mean this as a joke, but lots of people don't. It's not funny when I have people threatening their children who are about to have surgery that I'm coming to hurt them if they don't be quiet. I can handle it, but it's annoying, and it makes the whole process a lot worse for the kid.

Re:Gee, thanks.

[demonlapin]

Okay, I give up. What the hell does this mean?

Re:Gee, thanks.

[demonlapin]

Who mods this stuff Troll? It's the funniest response by a mile.

lulz

[WGFCrafty]

Far easier to get mercury and mind control chips into your skin if you can't see the syringe. At least before you could ask to examine your vaccine with a x-ing scope of some kind, now it's HIDDEN in the bandage. HIDDEN.

THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

Re:lulz

[Anonymous Coward]

*yawn* You know, I would like to be able to get vaccines without thiomersal, not because of some sort of imagined connection with a disease, or some stupid sense of paranoia. It's just between the handling of various lead alloys, my fillings, a broken mercury thermometer, and various accidentally broken florescent bulbs, I'd like to limit my exposure to heavy metals if I can help it. After all, my livelihood depends on my cogitative alertness. Although, to be fair, given the half lives I'm probably OK. I'd still like the option, though; there are other preservatives out there. Granted, I'd also like to avoid formaldehyde with a similar line of thought.

Re:lulz

[sharkey]

Oh PUH-lease. Just microwave the bandage for 5 minutes before you put it on.

Duh.

press releases from universities are worth what?

[Anonymous Coward]

odd how this story about good ole american know-how resembles this press release from an australian university from April?

  http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=21034

Needle pain?

[Anonymous Coward]

Just ask the nurse to inject you some analgesic at the vaccination point first.

could never completely replace the needle

[metalmaster]

In my 22 years i've been i the hospital as much as i have been at home. Docs have tried just about every medical grade adhesive for the different bandages i've needed. So far nothing works for more than an hour before some nasty skin irritation. Even OTC bandages need to come off fairly quickly. I've learned to deal with even the biggest of needles though, so its not an issue anymore. For those who are candidates for this patch some of the nastiest shots(MMR and Gardasil) can be administered pain-free. However, i wonder how wide of scope these can cover. The article(yes, i RTFA) does not mention whether this can me used to inject medications that are typically injected into muscle areas. In any case, this looks promising, but i dunno how far they will get. We will find out "in 5 years"

Re:could never completely replace the needle

[johnhp]

I'll bite... why have you been in the hospital 50% of the last 22 years?

Re:could never completely replace the needle

[metalmaster]

That wasn't really the point, but i've got hydrocephalus. The cranial shunt does the trick most of the time, but the doctors just cannot get it right. Im in and out every few months, but the hospital is a second home.

On with the discussion folks. Nothing more to see here.

Re:could never completely replace the needle

[Anonymous Coward]

Guessing some thing really nasty, but can't think what would have you in hospital over 180days for a year and not leave you dead within 22 years, possibly a bad bowl disease, but as a crohns sufferer I only have a day or 2 in hospital every few years.

As for the grandparent, I would say that since these only do sub-skin injections (blood stream only) they would not be suitable for this at all, and if you have issues with adhesives then not at all for you. Like medication itself the use of these patches would have to be decided on a case by case basis.

Re:could never completely replace the needle

[Uzuri]

My sister has that trouble -- we're pretty sure that it's due to the fact that she had quite a bit of surgery before the age of one and was sensitized to the adhesives. VERY difficult to find something that doesn't bother her.

Anyway, just sayin' that you're not alone. Good luck with everything you have to deal with.

The Horror!

[ceraphis]

I can see it now, the horror story of the future. A killer challenges you to a co-op game of Starcraft 3 and after you pwn some nubs, you high five!

"Wait, what is this, why did you have a band aid in your hand?" *passes out*

"The pwning has just begun, Billy Lumpkins. I'll teach you to troll the warlock forum."

Re:The Horror!

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey, if you change nubs to nubbins, that same script could also work for a porn story!

Some details from the article...

[jnnnnn]

The needles are conical, about 200m diameter by 650m long, with 10m radius of curvature at the tip. They are made from a biocompatible polymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and mostly dissolve after about five minutes (they are highly water-soluble). The manufacturing process can be done at 23C (using a mold), avoiding damage to sensitive biological molecules. Each patch held 3 g of vaccine.

For comparison purposes, human hair ranges in diameter from 20-200m.

Here's the article, with some low-res pictures even for non-subscribers.

Re:Some details from the article...

[jnnnnn]

Slashdot has eaten my unicode. All those "m"s should be micrometers.

Re:Some details from the article...

[Johnno74]

Ouchies. Getting a vaccination from a needle 200 meters wide x 650 meters long doesn't sound "painless".

Re:Some details from the article...

[noidentity]

The needles are conical, about 200m diameter by 650m long, with 10m radius of curvature at the tip.

I wouldn't exactly call these small. Hell, my torso isn't even 1m in diameter!

Re:Some details from the article...

[Anonymous Coward]

Chicken!

Now just bend over, this won't hurt ~me~ a bit ;)

  { brandishes 200m diameter needle }

Re:Some details from the article...

[Anonymous Coward]

I guess this is what happens when Americans attempt to use the metric system...

Re:Some details from the article...

[Anonymous Coward]

"I'll just give you this here injection here"
CRUNCH
"Thanks doc, i knew that one day i would become the pancake, praise be to science"

Dad: "And they both ran over the cliff together, holding hands and flowers in the other hands, with a happy rainbow above their heads"
Son: O_O "WHY would he want to be a pancake?! He doesn't even have a mouth, how can he speak?! mo mad mo, my mouth mot mare m---" 404 host consciousness not found
Dad: "Chloroform, what would i do without you."

Okay, that actually sounds like a bit of a fucked up family. I think i went too far.
Yes, i will go see someone about this immediately..

Re:Some details from the article...

[roman_mir]

I kid you not, I was in a in Germany store about 2 months ago, there was a bunch of tourists, a couple came to a meat counter and the guy said: "I would like 100 kilograms" of some sausage. The woman at the counter looked funny at him and I intervened knowing how punctual the Germans sometimes are.

Re:Some details from the article...

[Anonymous Coward]

I wish I could mod you down as "-1 Fucking retarded"

Re:Some details from the article...

[cybernanga]

The needles are conical, about 200m diameter by 650m long, with 10m radius of curvature at the tip.

hmm, are those meters or miles?

Re:Some details from the article...

[StikyPad]

The woman at the counter looked funny at him and I intervened knowing how punctual the Germans sometimes are.

Good thing you were there to add a measure of cromulence.

Is this available with caffeine!?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is this available for use with caffeine? I could take the *patch* BEFORE the morning coffee. There's nothing a double hit, if you know what I mean.

Re:Is this available with caffeine!?

[pushing-robot]

There's nothing a double hit, if you know what I mean.

You mean you accidentally the decaf?

Re:Is this available with caffeine!?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not just the decaf. The entire decaf.

harden the fuck up...

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y

Re:harden the fuck up...

[Tetch]

Well yes .... leaving aside those people who have a psychological problem with needles, the sting of a vaccination needle is hardly much of a discomfort. I mean ... surely most folks have felt much worse pain than a stupid vaccination needle at some point in their lives. It doesn't really hurt. And I can tell you I became really quite a big fan of acupuncture needle effect a while ago :)

This is dangerous. (Stealth injections)

[elucido]

Now people will be able to inject others with toxins and it will be impossible to detect it.
What you have is a stealth needle, this idea in my opinion is incredibly dangerous, but I guess it will be good for mercenaries because it will reduce the costs.

There is a reason why we can feel needles.

Re:This is dangerous. (Stealth injections)

[Anonymous Coward]

Just about to post this!

Reminds me of MI3 when they go grab his wife from the hospital.

(one of probably hundreds of other movies that have done this)

Re:This is dangerous. (Stealth injections)

[lostsoulz]

Now people will be able to inject others with toxins and it will be impossible to detect it

Detection of a toxin will be unaffected. You may even notice the large band-aid that the bad guy has just slapped on your forehead too.

Re:This is dangerous. (Stealth injections)

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

I doubt that it will make much difference, in practice. If somebody can sneak up and slap a patch on you, they can also sneak up and stab you with an umbrella...

More generally, the reason that this 'biocompatible microneedle array' stuff is considered medically interesting is because it lets you get the vaccine you want past the skin, rather than being forced to choose from agents that already pass through skin properly, or re-developing a vaccine from the drawing board to make sure that it is capable of soaking through skin without special treatment.

There are already thousands of compounds that soak through skin just fine(consult your friendly local MSDS, and remember what happened to poor Karen Wetterhahn. Yup, dimethylmercury. Sinks right through common lab gloves like they aren't even there, and skin about as easily. Then you die, the hard way.)

Even if you discount the gases, dusts, vapors, and droplet aerosols of the world, when formulating your sinister plan, there are plenty of chillingly skin-permeable options. This breakthrough is only news for doctors, who have to be much more selective: because there are thousands of toxins; but only a few vaccines or drugs for disease/condition whatever.

Re:This is dangerous. (Stealth injections)

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh, and blowguns, I completely forgot those. The tech is about as old as civilization, and the modern version can still put a needle into you quite unexpectedly, and from a modest distance.

Probably some spring-loaded and lower-pressure air-rifle designs to worry about, as well. Those would be easier to conceal...

Re:This is dangerous. (Stealth injections)

[Tom]

There is a reason why we can feel needles.

Yes, because they puncture nerves that proceed to yell "invasion! our outer barrier has been breached! potentially fatal wound! need help here, right now!" and the only reason we only feel a prick and not excruciating pain is that it is only a few nerves screaming.

Your point being? Anything that could potentially be abused should be outlawed? I guess we as a species decided to leave that road when we choose to use fire instead of abandoning the concept as potentially dangerous.

Re:This is dangerous. (Stealth injections)

[elucido]

There is a reason why we can feel needles.

Yes, because they puncture nerves that proceed to yell "invasion! our outer barrier has been breached! potentially fatal wound! need help here, right now!" and the only reason we only feel a prick and not excruciating pain is that it is only a few nerves screaming.

Your point being? Anything that could potentially be abused should be outlawed? I guess we as a species decided to leave that road when we choose to use fire instead of abandoning the concept as potentially dangerous.

When did I say it should be outlawed?

What I said is we need to be realistic and stop pretending like we are safe, or pretending like some authority can keep us safe. Nobody is safe and nothing can keep anybody safe.

Re:This is dangerous. (Stealth injections)

[Tom]

What I said is we need to be realistic and stop pretending like we are safe, or pretending like some authority can keep us safe. Nobody is safe and nothing can keep anybody safe.

And that has what to do with the development of micro-needles? It's not exactly a good delivery device for bio-terrorism, and if someone wants just you dead, there are many simpler, cheaper and more reliable ways to get it done.

I am merely saying, let's stop looking at every technological advancement as if it would raise the global threat level. In this specific example, I am very, very certain that a lot less people will die from evil poison-patch attacks than currently die from unsterilized needles, for example.

Re:Autism

[yukk]

Where's the funny troll mod option ?

The autism/vaccine correlation does not exist, however kids that don't get vaccines prove with 100% accuracy that their parents are fucking retarded.

or night clubs....

[Anonymous Coward]

Someone I know was injected with something a few years back by a total stranger in a rather ordinary New York club. She knew when it happened because she felt an unusual stinging in her butt and then started to feel dizzy a minute or two later -- she then figured out what the stinging must have been. (Fortunately, she was with friends, and was not infected with anything from the injection.) If someone can inject people undetectably, I'm weirded out by all of the creepy uses it can be put to....

Wakefield (not Rick)

[macraig]

So will Andrew Wakefield be using his copious free time in forced retirement to mount a pseudo-religious campaign against these patches, too?

Great News!

[matunos]

This should keep the anti-vax conspiracy theorists in business for at least another 10 years, or until they all die of measles, whichever comes first.

Reverse fear?

[Anonymous Coward]

Fine, so we can administer the medicine. But then we'll have to pull off the patch eventually, and imagine how much fun that'll be.

Is this new??

[dorpus]

I remember reading about microneedle patches all the time in the 1990s. It was vaporware.

Re:Is this new??

[Overzeetop]

So, you see, that "in ten to twenty years" prediction may actually be pretty close!

stupid sexy doctors...

[__aatirs3925]

It's like you're being pierced with NOTHING AT ALL, Nothing At All, nothing at all...

glad?

[ZeroExistenZ]

Glad to see it's still around for those who hate needles.

A needle sortof awares you if some foreign agent is introduced in your body.

Imagine this scenario: you create patches of some sort, or bandaids or somehow "inject" people unknowingly to themselves and repeat a the story at Pont-Saint-Esprit, but very subtle?

I'm not a "oh noes the mercury in vaccins"-nut, but I sortof like the fact that there's a bit of a barriere before introducing chemicals or organic compounds directly into my bloodstream of which I have little to know knowledge about content and result.p>

Veterinarians

[Anonymous Coward]

This would be great for veterinarians, too, I think. Animals sometimes have to be sedated already because they dislike being taken to the vet so much (smaller animals like dogs, that is; for larger ones like horses, sedation is often a given, anyway, for the sake of the vet's own safety), but getting poked with a needle is also not something most animals will enjoy. My pup certainly does not, for instance.

If there was a way to get him drowsy and non-combative in the vet's presence without a needle, then that'd be great, and I imagine that if you did this with puppies right from the start, they'd never even get anxious about going to the vet's.

What will be the price?

[houghi]

How expensive will these be? Will they be more expensive or not then needles? If more expensive, then it would mean almost nothing, except extra cost. If less expensive, then it could mean that people with a much lower training will be able to hand them out in many poor regions in the world.

Re:What will be the price?

[bill_mcgonigle]

How expensive will these be? Will they be more expensive or not then needles? If more expensive, then it would mean almost nothing, except extra cost. If less expensive, then it could mean that people with a much lower training will be able to hand them out in many poor regions in the world.

My daughter got jabbed in the leg for some inoculation when she was two and shocked the hell out of the nurse when she grabbed the hypodermic needle and tried to yank it out. She bruised her quad nicely, and we're not the type to go casting false blame, but the cost calculation probably needs to include injuries (say she nicked an artery instead) and litigious folk.

Re:press releases from universities are worth what

[Ocker3]

Perhaps we need a "Simpsons did it" Corrolary for science/medicine done outside the USA previous to the current example, something like "Not First", followed by a link to whomever did it first. Like when everyone was talking about some American (or Canadian?) scientist doing work with RISUG, with no mention at all that the entire technology was invented in India (pity they didn't manage to mass-produce the compounds vital to the project).

Seems a very useful tool

[karlandtanya]

For vaccine delivery.
I wonder how difficult it would to make something similar in a very small, low-cost lab.
This could be really good thing in places where a lot of people who don't have a lot of money need a vaccine.

so which is it?

[Taibhsear]

In tests of microneedles without vaccine, people rated the discomfort at one-tenth to one-twentieth that of getting a standard injection, he said. Nearly everyone said it was painless.

The patch, which has been tested on mice, [...] The researchers are now seeking funds to begin tests in people

If tests in people haven't begun how can people rate the discomfort level?

Re:so which is it?

[omnichad]

I would assume that those would be tests of needles WITH a vaccine or something to deliver, to test the effectiveness of it actually transferring into the body. You don't need so much regulation to jab at someone with a pointy stick unless it contains chemicals.

Re:press releases from universities are worth what

[The_mad_linguist]

And *that* resembles an article in Science News from last millennium.

It's not a new idea.

Re:Autism

[bnenning]

kids that don't get vaccines prove with 100% accuracy that their parents are fucking retarded

This is true. And autism is more common among children of parents with high IQs. Correlation!

Re:Autism

[mcgrew]

Where's the funny troll mod option ?

+1 funny; funny gains no karma. Trying for funny is dangerous unless you have excellent karma, since mods will often not get the joke and mod it troll, flamebait, or offtopic. All a +5 funny gets you is "the comedian" on your "achievements" page (which I see you've attained).

Real men

[Capt.DrumkenBum]

Real men don't use anesthetic when the preform an appendectomy on themselves.

Re:press releases from universities are worth what

[Anonymous Coward]

For what it's worth, I know Dr. Prausnitz and he was on my qualifying exam committee. This isn't a fly-by-night thing for him, he's been doing this research for quite some time. Like most other ideas in research though, multiple people are at various stages of development of similar technologies. I was even talking to Dr. Prausnitz about the company that will likely be manufacturing his device (since I have also worked for that company) so I can guarantee you he did not rip off someone else's idea, as you seem to imply.

Re:Autism

[yukk]

I wasn't going for it. The troll I replied to, while being a troll was also funny. I wouldn't have modded it anyway since I wanted to refute the vaccinations cause autism strawman.