This New Delivery System Delivers Vaccines from BBQ Lighters
Colin Smith — November 27, 2021 — Tech
References: gtri.gatech.edu & springwise
Researchers at Georgia Tech University have discovered an innovative vaccine delivery system that uses modified BBQ lighters. The modified lighter is named the 'ePatch' and it uses microneedles and electroporation technology to implant the vaccine into the patient.
Vaccine delivery is quick and easy with the ePatch due to the small electroporation system penetrating only .01 inches of the patient's skin. This vaccine delivery method is still in its testing phase, but it could prove more effective at reducing vaccine side effects. Professor Chinglai Yang observed that the electroporation method induced an "almost tenfold improved immune response over intramuscular immunization or intradermal injection."
These results are stellar considering the ePatch is inexpensive and made out of a modified BBQ lighter. Should this vaccine system pass preliminary testing, it could make vaccine administration more accessible to people who have complications with traditional methods.
Image Credit: Candler Hobbs, Georgia Tech
Vaccine delivery is quick and easy with the ePatch due to the small electroporation system penetrating only .01 inches of the patient's skin. This vaccine delivery method is still in its testing phase, but it could prove more effective at reducing vaccine side effects. Professor Chinglai Yang observed that the electroporation method induced an "almost tenfold improved immune response over intramuscular immunization or intradermal injection."
These results are stellar considering the ePatch is inexpensive and made out of a modified BBQ lighter. Should this vaccine system pass preliminary testing, it could make vaccine administration more accessible to people who have complications with traditional methods.
Image Credit: Candler Hobbs, Georgia Tech
Trend Themes
1. Microneedle Technology - The emergence of microneedle technology presents new opportunities for painless and efficient vaccine delivery.
2. Electroporation Innovation - Electroporation, a non-invasive delivery method, presents disruptive innovation opportunities in medicine, cosmetics and other chemical delivery industries.
3. Low-cost Vaccine Delivery - The creation and innovation of low-cost vaccine delivery systems can increase accessibility of vaccines to all people globally.
Industry Implications
1. Pharmaceuticals - Microneedle technology and electroporation can revolutionize drug delivery methods and reduce complications in pharmaceuticals.
2. Cosmetics - Electroporation technology can enable the efficient and painless delivery of cosmetic products and increase customer satisfaction.
3. Medical Devices - The development of modified and low-cost medical devices like the ePatch can provide new opportunities in medical device industry and reduce healthcare costs.
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