We all want to avoid the dreaded shot, and no one is more aware of this than parents who have to coax kids into the doctor’s office even for well visits, with cringing tykes putting on some serious brakes at the door, completely out of fear of needles. It’s a fear that’s embedded in our memories long before we are even really sentient beings, as the jabs and pokes begin practically as soon as we are born.
While we’ve all heard of newfangled and less invasive devices being created for diabetics and those who have to deal with needles on a daily basis, absolutely no one would argue that jabbing at the mainstream bloodstream needs a pain-free method.
Students at Rice University have been working to relieve the anxiety surrounding the classic shot. While it would be nice for patients, surely this would be a welcome relief for medical professionals as well who certainly can’t enjoy watching anxiety levels rise in those presented with needles.
A 3D printed cylinder may be the savior for relieving needle-induced stress, according to the students who have developed a process that doesn’t take the needle away, but it does remove the associated pain. Attacking the central issue, they’ve designed a numbing process, and taken a cue from the much revered Pink Floyd anthem ‘Comfortably Numb,’ for their name—which couldn’t be more perfect.
While the 3D printed ‘Comfortably Numb’ device is still a work in progress, the eventual goal is to have it be an all-in-one numbing device and shot. For now, it’s used almost like an extreme cold pack that numbs the site just before the shot—any of us who remember the old days of piercing an earlobe with ice and a needle can relate to this simple concept.
The student team currently has engineered the 3D printed disposable cylinder with two chambers inside. One side holds water, and the other contains ammonium nitrate. When the two collide due to twisting and then shaking of the 3D printed cylinder, the contents immediately cool. This icy cold transfers to the metal plate situated at the end of the tube—and voilà—the skin is numbed from the metal plate within 60 seconds.
The Comfortably Numb device will be significantly less expensive, at $2 per disposable device, than other solutions like sprays and creams. Because it numbs faster and works more quickly, students have created a product that solves affordability and efficiency issues for medical professionals and patients both.
The team, all first-year students (and classic rock fans) at Rice, consists of:
- Greg Allison (computer science major)
- Andy Zhang (bioengineering major)
- Mike Hua (mechanical engineering major)
“Because we don’t have these incredibly refined skills in certain areas…that meant that we had to think of very simple solutions,” computer science major Greg Allison said in a statement. “Being limited in that way led to something that is very novel and innovative but at the same time simple and elegant.”
They are still examining the complexities of producing a more comprehensive design that would include the needle as well, and currently have applied for a patent for their design.
“We are targeting anyone who has to get an injection, which is nearly everyone,” Allison said. “But the device is especially applicable to people who are more susceptible to pain,” he added.
Allison points out that the device would be especially helpful for those receiving injections in sensitive areas like the groin or face. It would obviously be a device that could transfer over into other areas famous for requiring customers to endure minor pain like that involved with tattooing and piercing.
Is this a device you would welcome? How do you think it would appeal to children? Tell us your thoughts in the 3D Printed Numbing Device forum over at 3DPB.com.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
You May Also Like
3DPOD 240: Mark Barfoot (AMUG), Electrochemical Polishing at Voxel Innovations
Mark Barfoot is a 3D printing veteran who began by introducing additive manufacturing to traditional firms before becoming Managing Director of the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Lab at the University of...
3DPOD 239: Joe Calmese, ADDMAN President & CEO
Joe Calmese talks to us about the financing of additive manufacturing, machine prices, and utilization. He runs ADDMAN, a large, high-end service bureau that produces many critical components, including defense...
American Axle & Manufacturing Acquires GKN Powder Metallurgy and GKN Automotive for $1.44B
American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM), a publicly listed supplier of automotive driveline and drivetrain components headquartered in Detroit, has acquired Dowlais Group plc, the parent company of GKN Automotive and...
3DPOD 238: AM in the Nuclear Industry with Adam Travis, Westinghouse
Adam Travis, Global AM Program Leader at Westinghouse, is lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding 3D printing in the nuclear industry for us in this episode of the 3DPOD. He...