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April 25, 2005 Vol. 76,
no. 14S
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DRUG DELIVERY: A prototype of the experimental
MicroJet and its electronic control box, shown with a conventional
syringe for size comparison. The electronics can eventually be
miniaturized for a commercial product.
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BioE undergraduates
develop MicroJet device for "ouchless" injections
This fall, BioE senior Laleh
Jalilian will go to medical school to become a doctor or medical researcher.
Fellow BioE senior Marcio von Muhlen (whose parents are doctors) will
go to graduate school to become a bioengineering researcher. So it's
no wonder that, for the last couple years, the two have been working
in the lab on a medical device.
Dubbed the MicroJet injector, the device functions as a hypodermic needle,
but without the pain. The secret? Microjet uses a piezoelectric actuator
to propel liquid at 140 meters per second, or about 315 miles per hour,
through the skin without touching it. Instead of forcing liquid into
deeper and more sensitive layers of the skin, the Microjet deposits
it just under the skin's surface.
"There are other jet injectors on the market, but they are plagued by
variability in the percentage of liquid delivered," explains Jalilian.
"That means it is difficult to know exactly how much of the drug actually
gets into the bloodstream. The MicroJet we are developing uses a tunable
electronic circuit to offer a finer level of control than the air- and
spring-powered models available now."
MicroJet was inspired by your standard inkjet printer,
says von Muhlen. "What does an inkjet do? It delivers a specific amount
of ink to a specific place," he says.
Funded by a Guidant Foundation fellowship, von Muhlen began working
on the project the summer after his sophomore year under BioE assistant
professor Dan Fletcher. Jalilian joined a year later. They were helped
out by then fellow student Menzies Chen (B.S.'04 BioE). The students
spent much of their time testing and tuning the device for reliability,
a critical requirement. They also talked to doctors and patients to
understand their needs.
"We're at the stage now where it's reliable and easy to use," von Muhlen
says. "We applied for a patent and are shopping it around to see if
a company is interested in buying it."
With several years of research under their belts, these students encourage
other undergraduates to get involved and have some advice. "When you
do research, keep an open mind," says Jalilian. "Never give in to failure.
Accept that things won't always work the way you planned."
"Pushing the boundaries of science and technology is very slow going,"
von Muhlen adds. "But the potential reward is really cool."
To read more about their project go to http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/03/16_microjet.shtml.
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