Painless ‘Microneedles,’ Inspired by Mosquitoes, May One Day Be Possible

What if taking the kids to the doctor’s office for vaccinations didn’t have to end in tears? What if shots and blood draws were painless?

As pie-in-the-sky as this may sound, it may seriously come down to flexible, minuscule buzz saws that mimic mosquitoes’ ability to withdraw a blood meal while their victims remain blissfully unaware.

Researchers at Ohio State University — who still require funding for their work — are looking at painless punctures at the doctor’s office as a reality, Dr. Bharat Bhushan, a professor in the university’s department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, told LifeZette.

Securing the necessary funding to create and test “microneedles,” he said, could present a hurdle, however. He guesses that after funding is secured, it could be one to three years before they become available.

“It is not easy to get funding in new areas,” he added.

Mosquitos — specifically, their anatomy — provided the inspiration for the advancement, much to the anticipatory delight of folks the world over who shudder in fear at the thought of needles.

The secret is in the way the sneaky insects manage to pierce our skin. Typically, victims don’t notice the piercing itself. They only become aware of it when the itching ensues later.

Several distinct factors contribute to the mosquitoes ability to accomplish that feat. Think of a mosquito’s proboscis — the “snout” used to feed on us — as a flexible buzz saw with the ability to administer a numbing agent. It’s serrated; it vibrates; and certain sections are more flexible than others.

Each of those factors would come into play in the development of a painless needle for medical applications.

The microneedles “could be used for vaccinations, blood tests, and drug delivery,” Bhushan explained.

His research stems from his interest in bio-inspired surfaces. “Since nature has evolved over 3.5 billion years, it has developed structures and surfaces to provide functionality with [the] simplest methods. We select species from nature and study them and then apply for commercial applications,” he told LifeZette.

Science fiction may one day become science fact as the memory of the pinching pain of old-school needles fades into history.

Star Trek fans will remember “hyposprays,” the medical device used by Federation doctors to quickly and painlessly administer cures for the latest space illnesses.

Science fiction may one day become science fact as the memory of the pinching pain of old-school needles fades into history.

Michele Blood is a Flemington, New Jersey-based freelance writer and a regular contributor to LifeZette.