All it took for inspiration to develop a painless injection was a mosquito bite. Yes, a mosquito uses a unique method to deliver a painless bite and researchers at IIT Kharagpur wondered if they could make an injection that mimicked the mechanical action involved. While most of us think that a mosquito bite hurts, in reality, the irritation is due to chemicals in its saliva. After three years of research, IIT-Kgp, along with the Tokai University of Japan, has invented this novel injection that uses a microneedle to extract blood or deliver drug painlessly by using the same suction-based pressure that a female mosquito uses to suck blood. The diameter of the needle is just 30 micro metre. Besides others, this injection will especially benefit diabetes mellitus patients as blood tests are critical for its diagnosis and management. These patients have to check their blood gl...
All it took for inspiration to develop a painless injection was a mosquito bite. Yes, a mosquito uses a unique method to deliver a painless bite and researchers at IIT Kharagpur wondered if they could make an injection that mimicked the mechanical action involved. While most of us think that a mosquito bite hurts, in reality, the irritation is due to chemicals in its saliva.
- After three years of research, IIT-Kgp, along with the Tokai University of Japan, has invented this novel injection that uses a microneedle to extract blood or deliver drug painlessly by using the same suction-based pressure that a female mosquito uses to suck blood. The diameter of the needle is just 30 micro metre.
- Besides others, this injection will especially benefit diabetes mellitus patients as blood tests are critical for its diagnosis and management. These patients have to check their blood glucose level several times a day and inject insulin. Frequent repetition causes several physiological hazards including development of insertion pains," said Suman Chakraborty, faculty member of the mechanical engineering department of IIT-Kgp and visiting professor of Stanford University, US, who has led the team of researchers. Kazuyoshi Tsuchiya of Tokai University is also involved with the research.
- A female mosquito sucks blood by flexing and relaxing certain muscles in its mouth. This creates suction that draws blood. The new microneedle is based on the same principle. Here, the sucking action is provided by a microelectromechanical pump," said Chakraborty.
- A patent of the injection is awaited. Leading biomedical companies are already queuing up to enter into an agreement for technology transfer to bring the device into the market. Though the institute was yet unwilling to divulge the price of this path breaking technology, it is being estimated at several crores at least.
References:
- https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/carbon-microneedles-low-cost-painless-injections/article25920342.ece
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/IIT-Kgp-invents-microneedle-for-painless-shot/articleshow/4352420.cms
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