Scientists announced Monday the development of the first mobile printer, capable of producing thumbnail-sized patches able to deliver mRNA Covid vaccine. With the hope that the tabletop gadget may aid in the immunisation of individuals in distant areas.
While numerous obstacles remain, and the 3D printer is likely to be ready in years, experts lauded the “exciting” discovery.
When rubbed against the skin, the device produces two-centimetre-wide patches with hundreds of tiny needles that administer a vaccination.
These “microneedle vaccine patches” have several advantages over typical arm injections. Including the fact that they can be self-administered, and are reasonably painless. May be more appealing to vaccine skeptics, and can be stored at room temperature for extended periods.
Pfizer and Moderna’s popular mRNA Covid-19 vaccines must be refrigerated. Which has complicated distribution, particularly in developing countries that have denounced the unequal distribution of dosages during the epidemic.
According to a study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, the new printer was tested with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. But the multinational team of researchers behind it hopes that it may be converted to whatever vaccinations are required.
According to AFP, Robert Langer, co-founder of Moderna and one of the study’s authors. Thought the printer may be used for “the next Covid, or whatever crisis occurs.”
In the event of a new epidemic of a disease like Ebola, Ana Jaklenec, a study author from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the printer could be deployed to regions such as refugee camps or distant villages to “quickly immunise the local population.”