Scientists Develop Dissolving Needle for Painless injections

Gizmodo reported on a new piece of medical technology that may take all the pain out of injections. Researchers in Japan have developed and tested a “dissolving needle” called MicroHyala. In the highly magnified picture below, you can see the tiny needles melt away slowly. When the needles come into contact with the water in your skin they dissolve, leaving behind a smooth patch. The needles look similar to a circular patch that you place on the skin, then remove. That’s it. No pain. The team found that when they used the MicroHyala to deliver flu vaccine, it was just as effective as using needles. As a bonus this type of injection requires no training and is expected to be especially effective in developing countries where trained medical personnel are rare.