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MIT researchers have developed a groundbreaking wearable patch that uses painless ultrasonic waves to enhance drug delivery through the skin, potentially revolutionizing treatments for various skin conditions. This patch creates tiny channels in the skin, allowing drugs to bypass the tough outer layer, offering significant advantages over conventional methods like oral delivery or microneedling. It delivers drugs more efficiently, achieving a drug penetration rate 26 times greater than non-ultrasonic methods. The patch consists of a silicone-based polymer embedded with piezoelectric transducers that generate pressure waves, creating microjets to propel drugs into the skin.
Initial tests used niacinamide, showing that the patch could deliver as much medicine in 30 minutes as microneedling does in six hours. The technology may also enable local delivery of other drugs, such as vitamin C, or even hormonal and larger molecules in future adaptations. Researchers aim to optimize the device for human trials soon, with hopes of applying it to deliver treatments for chronic conditions like cancer. The patch promises to provide an easier, less painful alternative for patients requiring frequent injections, marking a significant advancement in transdermal drug delivery systems.
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