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Terrified of needles? Help is on the horizon

wdlove

wdlove

macrumors P6
Original poster
Oct 20, 2002
16,568
0
Dammit Jim, I'm a Mac guy, not a doctor, but when I read something like

The hand-held, ultrasonic device applies sound waves to the skin for 15 seconds, disrupting a protective membrane to allow fluids to flow in or out. The openings allow larger molecules, including those of many drugs, to pass through quickly. After 24 hours, the skin returns to normal.
Click to expand...

I get a little uneasy. Fluid flowing in and out of my arm for 24 hours? :eek:

If they can get this to work, though, put me on the list of those waiting to use it.

Beam me up, Scotty.
 
I have got to think that a simple 'shot' or injection that lasts for 5 seconds is far better than sound weaves for 15 and leaving a pathway for medication, bacteria, and whatever to enter my body.

Plus, it won;t enable blood draws which are worse than vaccines anyhow.
wdlove said:
A high tech device emits low frequency vibrations that open up microscopic holes in the skin. A way to give a patient medications without a needle. The device has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. It will start to be used to anesthetize the skin prior to a painful procedure, like inserting an IV. The medication will be effective in five minutes instead of one hour.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/19/device_kills_pain_injects_medicine_with_no_needle/
Click to expand...
 
Wonder if it works for delivering general anesthetic to the big toe. That would be very nice.

People who have had it done know what I'm talking about.
 
Kingsnapped said:
Wonder if it works for delivering general anesthetic to the big toe. That would be very nice.

People who have had it done know what I'm talking about.
Click to expand...

That is the type of application that this new device is intended to be used.

There wouldn't be any pain. The area would be covered, so that only the intended medication would enter the body. Then in 24 hours the occlusive dressing could be removed.
 
I'm afraid of needles. My case is quite bad, I think. I have to close my eyes when I see a needle in a movie. Watching Requirem For A Dream for the first time last week was a nightmare. :eek:

So if they give me a blood test, are they just going to open up a few microscopic holes and wait for it to squirt out? :p
 
Abstract said:
I'm afraid of needles. My case is quite bad, I think. I have to close my eyes when I see a needle in a movie. Watching Requirem For A Dream for the first time last week was a nightmare. :eek:

So if they give me a blood test, are they just going to open up a few microscopic holes and wait for it to squirt out? :p
Click to expand...

It just works on the skin and not vessels. So no blood will be squirting out. When this treatment is approved that will be able to apply lidocaine as an anthesia to your skin prior to drawing blood. So it will be painless.
 
Kingsnapped said:
Wonder how long until these saturate the market.
Click to expand...

I don't know if this was intentional or not.
If it was...SHAME ON YOU FOR MAKING SUCH A BAD BAD BAD PUN!!! ;)

If it wasn't...SHAME ON YOU FOR MAKING SUCH A BAD BAD BAD PUN!!! ;)
 
This has been around for a while. The military uses it to innoculate new recruits. I did it when I joined the Army.
Leaves a big welt afterwards, but it's an efficient means of innoculating large masses of people.
Wonder why it's taken so long for civilian adaptation.
 
JesseJames said:
This has been around for a while. The military uses it to innoculate new recruits. I did it when I joined the Army.
Leaves a big welt afterwards, but it's an efficient means of innoculating large masses of people.
Wonder why it's taken so long for civilian adaptation.
Click to expand...

How does it feel?
 
JesseJames said:
This has been around for a while. The military uses it to innoculate new recruits. I did it when I joined the Army.
Leaves a big welt afterwards, but it's an efficient means of inoculating large masses of people.
Wonder why it's taken so long for civilian adaptation.
Click to expand...

The military is just using an air powered machine to inject the vaccine. You are correct it is quicker. The machine is able to rapidly change needles. The welt is just the result of the air power.
 
vaccines suck anyway. if it's gonna hurt its cause of the medicine. that hepatitis c vaccine is a mother f*****! i just had to get it like a week ago and my arm's still sore
 
I hate needles! The last time I had to get novicane at the dentist's, they perscribed me vallium to take before the appointment. :p It helped a lot, but when I got there I still told them to give me gas, and they laughed.
 
Some shots are better than others. Hepatitis (any flavor) sucks a lot because they have to hit the muscle. Others, like menangitis, are so quick that I didn't notice the shot at all. This new technology, however, is really cool.
 
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