Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, April 25 (Xinhua)-- scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new type of wearable patch that uses ultrasound to deliver drugs to the skin efficiently and painlessly, which can improve the effect of local medication.

Many drugs are either taken orally or intravenously, but the former requires a larger dose, the latter is unpleasant, and both are difficult to target specific regions.

The new patch, called the deformable Ultrasonic Penetration Patch (cUSP), is made of a hydrogel that can stick to the skin. There are four transducers inside the patch, which are connected to the power supply through copper wire. There is a small cavity above each transducer containing drug molecules dissolved in the liquid. When the transducers are powered on, they vibrate and produce bubbles in the liquid. These bubbles form liquid microjets that penetrate the hard outer layer of the skin and reach the inside of the body.

The researchers tested the system on pigskin samples and delivered a vitamin called nicotinamide (CTOnews.com note: commonly used in sunscreen and moisturizer). They found that cUSP was able to deliver 26 times more drug molecules into the skin than patches without ultrasound assistance. They also compared it with microneedle patches, another new method of painless administration, which contains freeze-dried drug spikes that can pierce the skin and dissolve. The results show that ultrasonic patch can deliver the same amount of nicotinamide in 30 minutes, while microneedle patch takes 6 hours.

The researchers say the technique may be particularly useful for treating skin problems such as burns, skin cancer or aging. With further improvements, the system can also deliver drugs deeper to the circulatory system, delivering hormonal drugs such as fentanyl, insulin or progesterone, and the technique may even help people get painless tattoos.

Canan Dagdeviren, senior author of the study, said: "this system provides an easy-to-use and highly repetitive approach and is a subversive choice for patients and consumers with skin problems and skin aging. This mode of administration has lower systemic toxicity, more local, comfortable and controllable." The study was published in the journal Advanced Materials.

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