Smart Needle
Syringes and hollow needles—among the most feared and most commonly used tools in medical practice—have been around for more than a century.
However, the precise insertion of these devices depends largely on the technique and skill of the person delivering the injection. And some anatomical regions, such as the space in the back of the eye, can be particularly tricky, and indeed risky, to inject.
Now research led by Harvard Medical School scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a highly sensitive intelligent injector for tissue targeting (i2T2) that detects changes in resistance in order to properly and safely deliver medication.
Their results, based on work done in preclinical models, are published Feb. 25, in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
“Targeting specific tissues using a conventional needle can be difficult and often requires a highly trained individual,” said senior corresponding author Jeffrey Karp, HMS professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s. “In the past century there has been minimal innovation to the needle itself, and we saw this as an opportunity to develop better, more accurate devices. We sought to achieve improved tissue targeting while keeping the design as simple as possible for ease of use.”
One area that is difficult to target with a standard needle is the suprachoroidal space (SCS), located between the sclera and choroid in the back of the eye. The SCS has emerged as an important location for medication delivery but is challenging to inject precisely and safely because the needle must stop after transitioning through the sclera, which is less than 1 millimeter thick—about half as thick as a U.S. quarter. Injecting this region carries a risk for retinal damage. Other common tissue targets include the epidural space around the spinal cord, used for epidural anesthesia to ease pain during labor, the peritoneal space in the abdomen, and subcutaneous tissue between the skin and muscles, one of the most common sites of injection.
The i2T2 device was fabricated using a standard hypodermic needle and parts from commercially available syringes. Different types of tissues have different densities and as a result exert different pressure and different resistance to penetrating objects. The intelligent injector harnesses these differences to enable needle movement in a tissue-specific manner.
The driving force, maximal forces and frictional force of the injector were tested using a universal testing machine. The feedback to the injector is instantaneous, which allows for better tissue targeting and minimal needle overshoot past the desired location.
The i2T2 was tested on tissue from three animal models to examine delivery accuracy in the suprachoroidal, epidural and peritoneal spaces, as well as subcutaneously. Using both extracted tissue and an animal model, the researchers found that the i2T2 prevented overshoot injuries and precisely delivered medication to the desired location without any additional training or specialized technique.
In preclinical models, the researchers reported high coverage of contrast agent in the posterior section of the eye, indicating that the payload had been injected into the correct location. The experiments also showed the injector could be used to safely deliver stem cells to the back of the eye, which can be useful for regenerative therapies.
“The stem cells injected into the SCS survived, indicating that the force of injection and the transit through the SCS were gentle on the cells,” said Kisuk Yang, a co-author and HMS research fellow in medicine at Brigham and Women’s. “This should open the door to regenerative therapies for patients suffering from conditions of the eye and beyond.”
“We have optimized a staple of modern medicine into a more intelligent device capable of more precise tissue targeting and with a better safety profile,” said first author Girish Chitnis, a former postdoctoral fellow in Karp’s laboratory. “We hope that we will be able to adapt this technology for human use in the very near future.”
“The i2T2 will help facilitate injections in difficult-to-target locations in the body,” said co-author Miguel González-Andrades, HMS research fellow in ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and collaborator with Karp’s lab. “The next step toward human use is to demonstrate the utility and safety of the technology in relevant preclinical disease models.”
Learn more: Smart Needle
The Latest on: Smart Needle
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Smart Needle” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Smart Needle
- 2024 NFL Draft: Cowboys fill two holes on O-line with one trade back, land OT Tyler Guyton, IOL Cooper Beebeon April 27, 2024 at 11:55 am
By the time Friday night concluded, both vacancies were filled through the 2024 NFL Draft, thanks to one first-round trade back with the Detroit Lions. The Cowboys dropped five spots Thursday, going ...
- Investors won't give you the real reason they are passing on your startupon April 27, 2024 at 11:00 am
"When an investor passes on you, they will not tell you the real reason," said Tom Blomfield, group partner at Y Combinator. Blomfield should know - he was the founder of Monzo Bank, one of the ...
- Climate change demands global solutions, not local lawsuitson April 26, 2024 at 4:00 am
Chicago's climate lawsuit won't curb greenhouse gas emissions or curb the effects of climate change. Innovation and smart public policies are what is needed.
- Don't just track your steps. Here are 4 health metrics to monitor on your smartwatch, according to doctors.on April 26, 2024 at 2:00 am
Are you using your smartwatch to the fullest? Here are 4 metrics doctors say can be useful to track beyond your daily step count.
- Smart Biopsy Devices Market Sizing Up Success Unlocking New Avenues in the Market of Tomorrowon April 25, 2024 at 9:46 pm
Smart Biopsy Devices Market is valued at approximately USD 2.5 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 5.7% over the forecast period 2020-2027. Biopsy is a ...
- Smart Grids, Safe Lands: Reducing Wildfire Risks With Technologyon April 25, 2024 at 3:48 pm
Smart-connected sensors, real-time data and machine learning can provide the insights utilities need to continually improve their wildfire planning and make faster decisions ...
- Raine details 3 themes driving its sports investing as it hunts for more dealson April 25, 2024 at 7:25 am
Raine believes in the enduring value of sports content, despite the uncertainty facing their historical media distributors.
- The Veil Review: Elisabeth Moss’ Hulu Thriller Spins a Compelling Spy Yarn With a Few Loose Threadson April 24, 2024 at 9:01 am
If nothing else, The Veil is certainly efficient. While streaming series tend to stretch out their plots for far too many episodes and multiple seasons, Elisabeth Moss’ new Hulu thriller (premiering ...
- Here's Why This Smart Water Meter Company's Stock Surged 23% This Weekon April 19, 2024 at 7:45 am
Water treatment and metering company Badger Meter's sales surged in the first quarter as utilities warmed up to smart metering technology.
- Global Smart Syringes Market Size To Exceed USD 20.5 Billion By 2033 | CAGR Of 8.22%on April 17, 2024 at 1:01 pm
The Global Smart Syringes Market Size was Valued at USD 9.3 Billion in 2023 and the Worldwide Smart Syringes Market Size is Expected to Reach USD 20.5 Billion by 2033, according to a research report ...
via Bing News