A miniature shock wave driven micro‐jet injector for needle‐free vaccine/drug delivery. Issue 11 (9th June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Battula, Nithin; Menezes, Viren; Hosseini, Hamid
• Is Part Of: Biotechnology and bioengineering. Volume 113:Issue 11(2016)
• Page Start: 2507
• Page End: 2512
• Publication Date: 2016-06-09
• Subjects: needle‐free vaccine/drug delivery -- shock wave -- micro‐jet injector -- skin -- soft tissue; Biotechnology -- Periodicals; Bioengineering -- Periodicals; 660.6
• DOI: 10.1002/bit.26016
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0006-3592

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article presents a miniature shock wave driven micro‐jet generator to deliver liquid drugs into human skin, to a controlled depth, with minimal invasion. The device can release the vaccine/drug to the depth of dermal blood vessels, without breaching much of the microcirculation system of dermis. The drug delivery technique is needle‐free, which can reduce pain, trauma, and contamination besides minimal dosage and systemic exposure. The device can also be used to deliver liquid or colloidal drugs into soft tissues in human. The mechanical analyses of the device were carried out by analyzing the strength of the impulse of the shock wave, measuring the velocity of the generated jet and capturing the pressure exerted by the jet on the target. The penetrating ability of the jet was investigated by delivering it into sample of human skin and gelatin slabs. Theoretical analyses were carried out on the physics of the delivery and the predicted results had a close agreement with the experimental observations. The development can offer an important cost‐effective solution to needle‐free health care worldwide. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 2507–2512. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Abstract : The article presents a novel needle‐free liquid vaccine/drug delivery system that can reduce pain, trauma, and contamination. The characteristics of the delivery are obtained experimentally and validated theoretically. The technique offers an important cost‐effective solution to needle‐free health care worldwide.