Scared of Sharps? This MAP Shows the Way to Delivering Painless Vaccines

A micro-needle patch (MAP) is an innovative method to deliver drugs and vaccines. Credit: QuadMedicineBy Busani BafanaSEOUL, Jan 22 2024 (IPS) If the fear of sharps makes a visit to the doctor dreadful, you need not dread it anymore. A South Korean company’s invention of an innovative micro-needle patch could make you look forward to your next doctor’s visit. The micro-needle patch (MAP) is a painless, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly way to administer vaccines and drugs in place of solid injections, its developers say. The MAP system has the combined advantages of conventional patches and syringes. It has tiny needles whose tips are less invasive and almost painless when administering drugs, Chi Yong Kim, Research Coordinator at QuadMedicine, tells IPS. “The feeling of the micro-needle is like a cat’s tongue. It’s like a scratch that does not cause pain,” Kim says of the MAP, which also delivers active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the correct amounts. Chi Yong Kim, Research Coordinator, QuadMedicine. Credit: Busani Bafana/IPS QuadMedicine has patented the form of micro-needle patches that are separable MAPs, where the tips of the needle themselves are active APIs. In delivering the API, the tips of the micro-needle are inserted into the skin and break off, reducing delivery time and increasing delivery efficiency by almost 100 percent, said Kim. Kim notes that the MAPS also offer the advantage of portability, and they are stable at roo...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Asia-Pacific Development & Aid Headlines Health Population TerraViva United Nations IPS UN Bureau IPS UN Bureau Report South Korea Source Type: news