December 27, 2017
For those wary of vaccines to begin with, researchers are developing a new type of injection that is even more concerning than multiple individual shots.
As Luke Dormehl of Digital Trends writes, “engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are coming to the rescue with a new 3D fabrication technique that could allow for multiple doses of a drug or vaccine to be delivered to a patient over an extended period of time — with just one jab needed.”
Research Scientist with MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Ana Jalkenec, told Digital Journal in an interview, that
We figured out a way to make tiny polymer cups, smaller than a grain of sand, that can be filled with any drug, including vaccines. Once filled, these cups are sealed with a lid made from the same material, and the drug or vaccine is protected inside. Because the microparticles are so small, hundreds can be injected into the arm just like any vaccine. Once in the body, the cups stay closed and open up at a predetermined time, releasing the drug or vaccine. This is exciting because one can fill the different cups with essentially all the vaccines and boosters, and potentially have the 10 to 20 required vaccinations all in one shot.
For those wary of vaccines to begin with, researchers are developing a new type of injection that is even more concerning than multiple individual shots.
As Luke Dormehl of Digital Trends writes, “engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are coming to the rescue with a new 3D fabrication technique that could allow for multiple doses of a drug or vaccine to be delivered to a patient over an extended period of time — with just one jab needed.”
Research Scientist with MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Ana Jalkenec, told Digital Journal in an interview, that
We figured out a way to make tiny polymer cups, smaller than a grain of sand, that can be filled with any drug, including vaccines. Once filled, these cups are sealed with a lid made from the same material, and the drug or vaccine is protected inside. Because the microparticles are so small, hundreds can be injected into the arm just like any vaccine. Once in the body, the cups stay closed and open up at a predetermined time, releasing the drug or vaccine. This is exciting because one can fill the different cups with essentially all the vaccines and boosters, and potentially have the 10 to 20 required vaccinations all in one shot.