Who really likes needles? A brand-new episode of our Tech Briefs podcast series Here’s an Idea™ explores the emergence of micro-ones.

Learn all about how an array of microneedles can deliver drugs in a more precise way than the needle and syringes that we're used to. The Velcro-like micro option is less painful – and more effective, it turns out.

And the devices are especially valuable during a pandemic. (Listen to the brand-new episode below.)

Subscribe or listen via your preferred podcast provider here. 

Episode Highlights:

  • (0:54) Professor Ryan F. Donnelly, from Queen's University Belfast, sets the stage and explains what a microneedle is exactly, and how microneedles are being used today.
  • (11:05) Stanford Professor Joseph DeSimone details his team's 3D-printed vaccine patch that provides greater protection than a typical vaccine shot.
  • (18:48) Sandia researcher Ronen Polsky discusses efforts to use microneedles to draw out interstitial fluid, which can offer early detection of diseases.

Additional Resources:

Ryan Donnelly talks about microarray patches and their role in precise, effective drug delivery. Watch the presentation below:

Watch a Tech Talk from Ronen Polsky:

Sandia National Laboratories materials scientist Ronen Polsky positions a prototype 3D-printed microneedle holder on the arm of Sandia science writer Mollie Rappe. Rappe participated in a clinical trial to see the best length of needle to extract the interstitial fluid on the path to track the physiological condition of soldiers. (Credit: Sandia)

We want to hear from you. Share your comments below.

Topics:
3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing Drug Delivery Drug Delivery Manufacturing & Prototyping Medical Rapid Prototyping & Tooling Smart Patches and Bandages Wearables

More From SAE Media Group

Medical Design Briefs INSIDER
COVID-19 Smart Patch Vaccine Measures Effectiveness
Related Article Image
Tech Briefs
Drug-Delivery Capsule Coated with Microneedles Could Replace Injections
Related Article Image
Medical Design Briefs
3D Printed Microneedle Technology Transforms Remote Healthcare
Related Article Image
Podcasts
Pens and Autoinjectors as Drug-Delivery Options
Related Article Image