Days Numbered For Needles?

Scientists can potentially eliminate the need for needles by using dissolvable patch that can deliver the medicine.

17:45 20 July 2015

Scientists have invented dissolvable patch that can deliver vaccines, a move that can potentially eliminate the need for needles.

 

The new methods works by delivering the vaccines by laying a tiny patch onto a person’s finger, before it dissolves into their skin – it reduces the spread of disease by making the delivery of vaccine much more effective and affordable.

 

“We were excited to see that our new microneedle patch is just as effective as the needle-delivered flu vaccines, and in some cases even more effective,” said Professor Nakagawa, one of the authors of the Osaka University study.

 

Previous attempts to develop microneedles have relied on silicon or metal but are proven to be unsafe as they can potentially break off in the skin and leave fragments behind.