Microneedle Patch for aseptic needle delivery

The US CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and Georgia Institute of Technology are co-developing a microneedle patch which promises to simply the vaccination process.

Meant to be supplied by workers with only minimal medical training and be easier to store, deploy and dispose of – compared to traditional vaccines – the patch is approximately 1cm by 1cm in size and pressed onto the skin with a simple application of thumb.

The patch’s lower surface features a 100 microneedle array. Manufactured from polymer, sugar and vaccine, these needles are hundreds of times smaller than a regular needle and so only reach the skin’s upper layers. Post-application, they dissolve, leaving the vaccine in the skin. After this, the patch can be removed and thrown away.

For further details see Pharmaceutical International.

Posted by Tim Sandle