Why is it in news?
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Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur developed tiny needles less than 1 mm in size.
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When arranged on a patch, the tiny hollow microneedles can be used for painless drug delivery.
Carbon microneedles
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Stronger and biocompatible needles:
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These gassy carbon needles were almost 300 times stronger than the original ones.
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Since it was made of carbon it was also biocompatible.
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No toxicity: these needles also showed any toxicity during testings.
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Controlled drug delivery: with these needles it can be possible to provide controlled drug delivery by managing the pressure.
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Painless administration of drugs: these needles are only 400 micrometer long, thus, it will be completely painless.
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Reduction in cost:
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Scientists said, just like a band-aid we can fabricate a dia-aid that can be used by diabetic patients for painless insulin administration.
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Since it is not possible to bring down the cost of insulin, this patch can reduce the device cost by almost 50%.
Source
The Hindu