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Ultrasound can push vaccines into the body without needles (www.newscientist.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Vaccines can be delivered through the skin using ultrasound. This method doesn’t damage the skin and eliminates the need for painful needles. To create a needle-free vaccine, Darcy Dunn-Lawless at the University of Oxford and his colleagues mixed vaccine molecules with tiny, cup-shaped proteins. They then applied liquid mixture to the skin of mice and exposed it to ultrasound – like that used for sonograms – for about a minute and a half.

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[–] 33 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (12 children)

History proves we do the cheapest, easiest, and fastest. So allow me to shit all over this idea...

  • This is slow at 1.5 mins vs a needle takes about 5 secs.
  • Takes skill to operate an ultrasound machine and probably training to get a consistent dose vs pull needle to this line and jab in arm to know you got it all in there.
  • Every Rite Aid and CVS would need an ultrasound machine vs here are these cheap disposable needles that require no power or maintenance.

Sure they might develop it faster or make a new more portable thing. But that's going to take a long long time when no one gives a shit to invest money in a new thing when needles work.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    A machine that produces ultrasonic waves is not that complex. It’s the sensors and qualified technician to read and capture the scans that’s expensive.

    Plus have you ever had to physically restrain your child through a needle shot? You said “easiest” and that shit ain’t easy.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago
    • 1.5min really isn't that long compared to the procedures just to process insurance, identity, etc. Retrieving needles, etc. This only needs the topical vaccine, an ultrasound machine, and a wipe for the machine.
    • When this goes mainstream it'll be a little device with cutout so you can apply it flawlessly to the upper arm. Ultrasounds need training to get readable data, but probably a LOT less just to apply ultrasound to an area.
    • Needles will still be king anywhere in the developing world. It'll be more expensive initially, but with the mass production the price will go down. And there will be small cost savings to not having to deal with sharps and biohazards as often.
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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I heard an ad for people scared of dentists - they were offering to put people under.

    [More] dangerous and expensive, but better than skipping it altogether.

    Gotta be a market for hyper-hypodermic-phobic folks. Even if you & I stick with the five second jab.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    There's more to full sedation than just "scared of dentists", but it's a start. Anyone who needs substantial work can get it done in 1 day on full sedation instead of a dozen shorter sessions. yes, "needs substantial work" often relates to "scares of dentists" (or relates to "was too damn poor for dentists")

    And I'm with you on hyper-hypodermic-phobia thing. People don't realize that "fear of needles" does not manifest as a phobia, but as an acute body response. Getting a shot ruins me for a week, and often involves a doctor's time because my vasovagal symptoms tend to need a little more expert observation. About 1/3 of the time I stop breathing for a short time. I've never needed life-saving measures, but they need to make sure that's the case (lol).

    So for doctor's offices, it could easily become savings for them because of people who have responses to needles.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago*

    I'd like to be an optimist when it comes to things like this, some people really really can't stand needles and something like this would be great for them people. I hope it develops further.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago*

    I think it depends. I went to an ER once that threw me into a wheelchair when the world was spinning post-blood-draw and dropped me off in the hall saying "You'll be fine!". That hospital will never get an Ultrasound injector.

    When I got my first COVID vax, however, I took up 20 minutes of the time of 2 on-call doctors and a nurse because my passing out often resembles a seizure. And then I took up one of their very few "just in case" beds for close to 90 minutes. Someone else with a problem with needles waiting for a vax had to wait for the bed to open up. They'd have killed to have said ultrasound injector for people like me.

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