No Needle Injection Innovation

From the web site of Israel 21C comes the news of a painless method of injecting medication into the body. If you, dear reader, are anythying like my wife, the sight of a needle creates fear and trepidation.

Many of us dread shots, or injections of medication directly into the bloodstream. Those who aren't blessed with "easy-to-access" veins may be subjected to several attempts by medical personnel, some of whom are less skilled - and empathetic - than others. Diabetes sufferers and others who require daily injections may find them difficult to handle, and some people have to administer them themselves.

All the above have prompted Israel's TransPharma Medical to spend close to a decade perfecting its unique ViaDerm Drug Delivery System. With a no-fail, painless applicator that never misses its mark, and its pre-measured patches, the ViaDerm system "is ideal for a wide range of medications and treatments," says Dr. Daphna Heffetz, TransPharma's CEO.

The genius of the ViaDerm system is in its use of basic principles of diffusion to push medication into the bloodstream. Most injected medications are pushed directly into the bloodstream or under the skin (subcutaneous) via a needle - but it turns out that there is another way to move medication into the bloodstream.

Below the outer layers of skin (the epidermis) lies the dermis, which contains elaborate networks of blood capillaries, and comes into direct contact with the epidermis. The ViaDerm system creates micro-channels through the outer layer of skin, allowing the medication to diffuse through them into the dermis and from there to seep into the blood system via the capillaries.

The full story can be read at http://israel21c.org/201012208614/health/no-fail-painless-injections#