HP Skin Patch May Replace Needles

Iddo Genuth writes "HP and Crospon have developed a skin patch employing microneedles that barely penetrate the skin. The microneedles can replace conventional injections and deliver drugs through the skin without causing any pain. The skin patch technology also enables delivery of several drugs by one patch and the control of dosage and of administration time for each drug. It has the potential to be safer and more efficient than injections."

Previously on Slashdot

[Dr. Eggman]

Last we heard [slashdot.org] this was in the prototype phase. Btw, the search function is terrible.

Re:Niccotine patch did it already?

[Thanshin]

Those work through the skin. Transdermal patch [wikipedia.org]

This ones enter through micro needles.

Re:Did someone say hypospray?

[selex]

Jet Injector. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_injector [wikipedia.org] Already exist. From what I heard from military people who had it used on them it f**king hurts.

Now the question is HP? Really? The people who built my printer? And laptop? I guess that development of the inkjet has other applications.

Selex

Really?

Re:Now we need sensors in those patches

[Ihlosi]

If this technology triumphs, the next addition should be sensors that control the release of chemicals taking the current situation into consideration.

No company wants to open that bag of liability issues. If your device makes medical decisions (instead of leaving them to a physician), you make yourself a big fat blinking glowing target for all sorts of legal trouble. Current example: Infusion pumps. While studies show that feedback-controlled infusion pumps lead to better patient outcomes, no company wants to make them because they don't want to get slapped with a multi-million-dollar lawsuit for the one patient in a thousand who thinks he might have had a better outcome with a standard infusion pump.

Re:Consider the potential abuses

[ResidntGeek]

It could, certainly, but it wouldn't add anything new. The problems with heroin addiction and the defeat thereof are properties of the drug itself, and can't really be mitigated. Many drugs cause users to develop tolerance, but heroin is so much stronger that continually taking the same dose won't even bring you back to normal - you have to increase the dose just to get back to normal after cravings, never mind feeling the same effects for repeated highs. The withdrawal is severe and physically dangerous, and it can be near-impossible to go cold turkey (or anywhere close) and survive if you're in too deep. Continuous subcutaneous absorption wouldn't do anything a controlled methadone drip wouldn't do, as far as breaking addiction.

None of this is firsthand information, of course, so the usual warnings about salt and its grains apply.

Re:Previously on Slashdot

[Smordnys s'regrepsA]

I'm glad someone else noticed. Does anyone know if there is anything new in this post, or are we just rehashing old news?


Oh, and next time just use Google (site:SlashDot.org "YourPhraseHere"), it is a thousand times easier.

Re:Bad headline

[PCM2]

Hypodermic needle. Hypo ("under") dermic ("the skin"). Pretty commonplace tool, actually. Cannulae, on the other hand, are used for IVs.

Oh please...

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, there will be some liability concerns but with proper testing and FDA approval, only an actual fuck up is going to really expose a company to liability. Meanwhile, the possible benefits of such sensor injectors are immense.

1. Sensors could detect the presence of substances which cause problems when combined with a given medication (e.g. alcohol, other medications). It can then abort the injection and alert the patient. This could save lives and would be especially useful for non-critical medications (i.e. missing a dose won't kill you).
2. Medications could be properly loaded into the system and levels could be properly maintained. Not only can this keep the system at a more constant level, but it means patients will not have to worry about forgetting to take their medication.
3. Diabetics. Blood sugar levels could be properly maintained in real time.
4. Emergency response. Imagine a pack that checks for certain conditions and responds accordingly. Probably not for every day use, but could save lives during disasters.
5. Zillions of military uses.
6. Making sure people take all their freakin' antibiotics.

Re:In speculative fiction for a while

[Kimos]

The you're describing an anti-rape female condom [wikipedia.org], frequently called a Dentata [wikipedia.org].