A MicroJet injector under development at UC Berkeley may help ease the dread of the needle by taking it – and the pain – out of the equation.

The researchers modified a traditional syringe by taking out the needle and adding a tiny piezoelectric actuator that propels the liquid out of the tube.

The MicroJet improves upon jet injectors now on the market because its range of control is continuous, allowing a far higher level of customization. “The beauty of the MicroJet is that it has a wide range of settings that can be customized to the patient’s comfort and needs,” said Laleh Jalilian.

The inspiration for the project came from inkjet printer cartridges which deliver a very controlled, repetitive shot of liquid onto the paper.

The MicroJet could one day be used for microsurgery, for delivering arthritis drugs into the joints of hands and knees, areas that are too shallow for hypodermic needles… or for less painful tattooing.

Future tests are planned on animal models and cadaver skins to fine-tune the device.

(Video by Marcio von Muhlen, UC Berkeley)

Via eurekalert.