Scientific innovators at the Cardiff University, in the UK, have pioneered a new microneedle technology that is expected to bring a whole new dimension to medical injections. The new technology features very tiny medical injection needles that are smaller than human hair!
Picofluidics Limited, a medical research company that is based at Cardiff University worked in collaboration with other scientists at the Coventry University to realize this exciting new technology. The technology is expected to go a long way in revolutionizing medical injections which in the past have proven to be painful to patients with chronic medical conditions and often need to be injected frequently.
The exciting new technology has successfully undergone thorough proof of concept tests and trials which have proven its effectiveness. Its viability has already been proven and, therefore, it is expected to be available on the counters soon.
Unlike conventional medical injection needles, which are rather larger and known to cause pain to patients during injection, the new needles are thinner than even human hair. But even with the needle's seemingly thinner size, it delivers medicine effectively more than the traditional hypodermic needles. Effectively, the new technology is designed to deliver various types of pain-free medical injections including; insulin injections, vaccines, treatment of varied skin ailments, and even certain forms of skin cancers.
Dr. John Macneil, the founder and Managing Director of Picofluidics, said that they had reached a milestone after many years of laboratory work to develop a specific type of microneedle which could be produced at a fraction of the cost of the traditional needles currently on the market. He further said that they are now on the look for partners they will collaborate with to help commercialize their new technology for the benefit of patients.
Picofluidics was established in 2009, and since then, it has been carrying out research, development and manufacturing products at its laboratory at the Cardiff Center - the incubation hub for medtech and biotech companies.
"Dr, John Macneil and his team have been tenants at the Medicentre since 2010 and it has been a pleasure to support the company and its growth. It is always great to see ideas being brought to life, and I have every confidence that in a few years' time the technology that Picofluidics has harnessed will be in common use throughout the healthcare community." Said Dr. Justin John, the Business Incubation Officer at Cardiff Medicentre.
