Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
One in 10 of us are said to have a fear of the hypodermic needle, a necessary but frequently uncomfortable fact of medical life.
While the needle is an efficient way to administer drugs and take samples for analysis, it still involves sticking a sharp bit of metal into the body.
This is problematic for many children, but particularly premature babies.
Since they are typically ill, premature babies are given a lot of medicines. But, because of their vulnerability, doctors need to take frequent blood samples as to ensure they get the right dose.
This could come in the form of regular injections, or the insertion of a permanent cannula, a procedure which is difficult enough to administer in grown adults.
Many researchers have tried to find an alternative solution.
Now, Prof Ryan Donnelly from Queens University Belfast and his team think they have come up with a solution. Not one needle, but 361.
The device looks like a small, clear plastic patch about half a centimetre across, which easily sits on the tip of your finger. One side looks quite rough.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30309216
While the needle is an efficient way to administer drugs and take samples for analysis, it still involves sticking a sharp bit of metal into the body.
This is problematic for many children, but particularly premature babies.
Since they are typically ill, premature babies are given a lot of medicines. But, because of their vulnerability, doctors need to take frequent blood samples as to ensure they get the right dose.
This could come in the form of regular injections, or the insertion of a permanent cannula, a procedure which is difficult enough to administer in grown adults.
Many researchers have tried to find an alternative solution.
Now, Prof Ryan Donnelly from Queens University Belfast and his team think they have come up with a solution. Not one needle, but 361.
The device looks like a small, clear plastic patch about half a centimetre across, which easily sits on the tip of your finger. One side looks quite rough.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30309216