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Thursday, 29 September 2005 12:05 | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk
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The pain caused by routine jabs could soon become a thing of the past with the introduction of micro-needles that administer injections without causing the discomfort associated with traditional needles.
The micro-needles are attached to tiny plates that can be applied like plasters by anyone.
Doctors at the Welsh School of Pharmacy said the new technology would ease the anxiety of people who suffer from a fear of needles and would also allow for mass self-vaccinations in the third world.
The School’s head of gene delivery research, James Birchall, said the new needles were around 0.15mm to 0.3mm long, barely large enough to be seen with the naked eye and far less frightening than currently used syringes.
He added that tests of the plates, which contain some 400 needles and are cheaper and easier to make than current technology, had shown them to be completely painless as the needles are just long enough to penetrate the skin but not long enough to reach pain receptors.
He said: "Research into micro-needles has proved that patients, especially children and older people, may no longer need to fear a visit to their doctor or dentist. Our plans are now to carry out some rigorous testing of the devices."
"The system might also be developed as a patch for self-application, avoiding the need for a clinician," he added.
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