MIT developing a new way of delivering multiple vaccine doses
- By Dom Galeon , Chelsea Gohd , Futurism -
Nobody enjoys getting a shot; especially when you have to get more than one. Currently, there is no way to avoid your booster shots when it comes to allergies, diabetes, or even cases of cancer which require several injections. That may soon change, however, thanks to a new technology, being developed by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which can deliver multiple doses with just a single injection.
The researchers invented a new 3D fabrication method, inspired by computer chip manufacturing, which develops drug-carrying particles into cups. The particles are made from an FDA-approved and biocompatible polymer called PLGA, designed to degrade at different rates to release the doses at different times.
“Each layer is first fabricated on its own, and then they’re assembled together,” Ana Jaklenec, co-author of the new study published in the journal Science, said in a press release. “Part of the novelty is really in how we align and seal the layers. In doing so we developed a new method that can make structures which current 3-D printing methods cannot.” They’re calling the method SEAL, which stands for StampEd Assembly of polymer Layers.
This article was originally published on futurism.com as “This New Vaccine Technology Could Make Multiple Injections a Thing of the Past”. The body copy was shortened; the title, subtitles, certain links and their placement have been modified to reflect Nuadox style considerations.
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