Seriously!?

Is this even a question? The answer in most cases is an emphatic NO THANKS, followed by running the other way, because you have officially been trapped in a horror movie (psst, don’t go that way). I actually only bring this up because scientists have officially created a “Self-Plugging” eye microneedle.

Abstract blue eye
Photo Credit: Anna Omelchenko
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Yes. You read that right.

For me this brings back haunted memoires of the game “Dead Space.” Anyone who played remembers the quick-time event and the gamer achievement that came with it called “Stick a Needle in Your Eye.”

attachment-dead space needle scrren shot
Screen shot from "Dead Space" This picture screams what can go wrong....
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Yikes.

Actually, this new invention is supposed to take those "yikes" out of most eye procedures that require direct injections. According to a report from msn, the Wiley Online Library, and the Terasaki Institute, which specializes in designing the future of biomedical innovation, the microneedle potentially solves one major challenge of treating eye diseases – accurate delivery of therapeutic drugs to the retina, while guarding against possible complications at the injection site. So far, this new technique has performed well in preclinical tests, but unfortunately it still involves eye needles (truly nightmare fuel).

Image Linked From Terasaki Institute
Image Linked From Terasaki Institute
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By the way, I watched the videos for the mock procedures. Not only are they truly terrifying, but I have no idea what exactly is going on in each one (guess that’s why I’m not administering eye shots for a living), but you can find the videos here if you’d like.

Basically the research says “a self-plugging microneedle is developed to perform intraocular drug delivery and to seal the scleral puncture simultaneously. The Self-Plugging Microneedle’s (SPM) are fabricated by a thermal drawing process and then coated with a polymeric carrier of drugs and a hydrogel-based scleral plugging component. Each coated functional layer is characterized and demonstrated by in vitro and ex vivo experiments. Finally, in vivo tests using a porcine model confirms prompt sealing of SPM and sustained intraocular drug delivery.”

attachment-Self-Plugging' Eye Microneedle diagram
Image Linked form MSN
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So good news for those of you that have to deal with eye needles on a less than appropriate basis. Those of us that do not however, are now going to need therapy 😉.

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