Nov. 17, 2003 — A Georgia Institute of Technology research team says that microneedles being developed today could offer less painful and more effective therapy for clinical use within five years.
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The team, whose work is to be published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, have developed manufacturing processes for mass-producing microneedles from inexpensive metal and polymer materials. The hollow and solid needles allow for delivery of nanoparticles.
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The devices’ safety and effectiveness still must be clinically proven, but the small-scale studies have shown that microneedles can be less painful than conventional hypodermic needles. Researchers said the microneedles could be part of a drug-delivery system that combines the ease of delivery offered by conventional needles and the more patient-friendly approach of a patch.