Using Nanotechnology to Help Avoid Injections

Researchers from North Carolina have a developed a biodegradable nanotechnology-based device that gives diabetics to the ability to administer insulin without daily injections. First nanoparticles are filled with insulin and then injected into the patient. The insulin then diffuses from the nanoparticles to form an insulin reservoir beneath the skin of the patient. The patient can then use an ultrasound device to excite the insulin and "push" it into the bloodstream.


After the initial injection, administering insulin using ultrasound is painless. However, it is harder to pinpoint exactly how much insulin is being administered. The insulin supply can last up to ten days, after which the biocompatible nanoparticles then dissolve into the body, then a new "nanonetwork" of insulin must be injected. This technology could definitely make treating diabetes less painful in the future. The original article is located here.