MicroJet alleviates the pain of the needle

A bunch of wusses at UC Berkeley spent some research money to develop an alternative to going under the needle for vaccinations: the MicroJet injector. It removes the syringe from the equation and replaces it with a tiny nozzle 70 microns in diameter that needn't make direct contact with the skin. Previous jet injectors developed by other wimps haven't been able to deliver the control over volume and speed necessary to deliver drugs to highly variable skin types, but the MicroJet innovates with a continuous range of control provided by a tunable electronic circuit. Inspiration was found in an already common delivery system: the inkjet printer. The researchers have big plans for the project to one day be used for microsurgery, delivering arthritis drugs to sensitive joints, and most importantly — painless tattooing (always on the wishlist in the academy). Bonus points for the psychedelic and potentially obscene video they've provided of this process.

[Via Near Near Future]

[Brian Peiris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

wooo hoo!, hypo-sprays! as a person who is sick at the moment,power to the wimps!

[Pedro @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

thats frickin' hypo-spray from star trek!

[douglas @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

i don't mind this for medical purposes, but as someone who has been inked quite a few times, i am offended by painless tattoos!

:)

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

My dad got 'hypo-sprayed' like this when he was in the airforce back in the early 70's. It's the fastest way to vaccinate a whole line of inducties without cross contamination (no needles).

To this day that spot on his arm does not produce sweat, and in hot weather it knots up hard like rock.

Another guy in line ahead of him flinched when they fired it off and it cut a big 'ol gash down his arm that bled profusely (or so dad tells me).

I hope this technology has been improved since then.

I just got a vaccination shot yesterday. I'm extremely needle-phobic, but I barely felt anything. In fact, as the nurse was preparing to give me the shot (so I thought) I commented that the alcohol rub burned a little this time, and she said "Uh...that was the shot. You're done.". So it seems to be true that most actual shots don't really hurt much.

I know sometimes they hit a nerve and it can be REALLY painful in that case, but I don't think this thing will really be much better.

Still, I can't really knock it 'till I've tried it. Which I would do since I've been curious about these things since Star Trek the Next Generation featured the concept so prominently...

This might be kinda cool for kids. If the pain index really is lower, then you could just have the kid put his/har arm in a cuff with this thing attached to it and then give the kid a one button control stick, tell them what to expect (noise, sensation, etc...) and then let them control it. I think, so long as the kid is moderately cooperative and well behaved, giving them that little bit of control would help them not be as scared by the prospect of a shot.

Then there's always my dad's other solution; Just conceal a conventional needle based syringe aperatus in the cushion of a seat and just say "Have a seat...", the person will sit down and inject themselves without ever having a chance to get nervous or scared.

They'll be mad as hell afterwards, but at least it will be over...

[Hi Rev @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

It's the fear of pain and needles that have kept me ink free for 40 years. Finally, I can get that tattoo on my face that will have the ladies clambering to me.

[huh? @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

There's a whole line of technological discontinuities (buzzword) in the area of medical delivery. This is definately one of the better ways... some of the others include butterfly needles (really, tiny tiny needles), cocktail/multi drugs for one shot application (great for the kids), breathable mists, ingestion (unless it can't bind properly), eye droplets and don't forget about the pacemaker sized, in-line pump that's permanantly attached then you swap out the drug cartridge of choice...

[Grendel @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I can personally confirm your dad's esperiance Odmanout. When I was in the army they lined us up like cattle and shot us up with those things. They are NOT pain free and yes I saw someone flinch and get their arm gashed. I got a tatoo over the spot a couple years later and that was actually Less painfull. I don't particular love the idea of being poked with needles, but unless they have improved this thing a lot, it ain't worth it.

[bongoat @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

Wouldn't smaller and faster injections = waaay more pressure in the shot and likely to damage/pulverize internal tissues/veins/etc. in the process?

[Marc @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

I was in the Air Force in the mid 80's and I also experienced the air gun method of vaccination. lol...it is funny as hell because there's always at least one person who moves while they shoot you and bleeds all over the place in spite of all their warnings for people to stand still.

Personally, I'd take the air guy the Air Force used on me ANY DAY over a needle. It had a mild, short sting but nothing anywhere near as discomforting as a needle. I don't understand why they aren't used in the civilian world.

[Brandon Sharitt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

It seems that the Air Force has done awa with the air gun, or at least that was the case last year when I went through basic and got all those shots(with needles).

[Menzies Chen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:22AM]

OMG, I freaking made engadget! So, I will attempt to answer some of the questions, I'm one of the students researching this project, and I'm the one who designed the actual device (other students designed the control box and optimized the performance).

OddManOut, that's an interesting anecdote about your dad. As for comparisons to traditional jet injectors, this system is different. Traditional jet injectors push a lot of fluid into a small hole, and that fluid has to go somewhere, usually bursting the initial injection cavity into surrounding tissues (thus, the associated pain). These jet injectors are also powered by springs or compressed air, and suffer from a low level of control and consistency (how much drug is delivered, how much is absorbed, etc.), which is why you don't see jet injectors at your local doctor's office. Our gadget uses an electronically-controlled piezoelectric actuator that gives us solid-state control, allowing repeatable and reliable injections.

In fact, that "obscene movie" in the link is actually not just one injection, but 13 still-frames of 13 different injections spliced into a movie. The frames seem continuous because each shot looks almost EXACTLY like the others (even down to the turbulent splatterings).

Our device currently injects tiny amounts of liquid into skin, where the holes generated by the jet injection is no larger than the jet diameter of ~70 microns. With pain receptors spaced more than the diameter of the jet, these injections should set off no more than a "tapping" sensation. Just an anecdote, when accidental shots of water have gone into my hand, it does feel just like a small tap, if anything.