Needle-free injection with supersonic microjets (NeedleFree)
Needle-free injection with supersonic microjets
(NeedleFree)
Start date: Apr 1, 2012,
End date: Jun 30, 2013
PROJECT
FINISHED
When focusing a laser pulse in a liquid, a vapor bubble can instantaneously (< 1μs) be produced.We have generated such vapor bubbles in a liquid-filled coated micro-capillary (diameter≈ 50μm). Remarkably, in about one microsecond after vapor bubble formation, an ultra-high-speed, ultra-sharp, focused liquid micro-jet emerged out of the meniscus at the end of the micro-capillary.Even with laser pulse energies comparable to those used in laser-pointers, we have reached spectacular supersonic velocities up to 800 m/s. The diameter of the jets was a few micrometers, more than 10 times smaller than the diameter of the micro-capillary. These supersonic ultra-sharp microjets have tremendous application perspectives for needle-free injection of vaccines and drugs for both humans and animals. The objective of this proposal is to verify the innovation potential of this idea.
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