സൂ​ചി കു​ത്ത​ലി​ന്റെ വേ​ദ​ന​യി​ല്ലാ​തെ മ​രു​ന്ന് ശ​രീ​ര​ത്തി​ലെ​ത്തി​ക്കു​ന്ന സി​റി​ഞ്ച് ക​ണ്ടു​പി​ടി​ച്ച് ബോം​ബെ ഐ.​ഐ.​ടി. എ​യ്റോ​സ്‌​പേ​സ് എ​ൻ​ജി​നീ​യ​റി​ങ് അ​ടി​സ്ഥാ​ന​പ്പെ​ടു​ത്തി​യു​ള്ള ‘ഷോ​ക്ക് സി​റി​ഞ്ച്’ തൊ​ലി​ക്ക് നാ​ശം വ​രു​ത്തു​ക​യോ അ​ണു​ബാ​ധ​യു​ണ്ടാ​ക്കു​ക​യോ ഇ​ല്ല. ശ​രീ​ര​ത്തി​ലേ​ക്ക് തു​ള​ച്ചു​ക​യ​റു​ന്ന​തി​ന് പ​ക​രം

ശ​ബ്ദ​ത്തേ​ക്കാ​ൾ വേ​ഗ​ത്തി​ൽ സ​ഞ്ച​രി​ക്കാ​ൻ ക​ഴി​യു​ന്ന ഊ​ർ​ജ സ​മ്മ​ർ​ദ ത​രം​ഗ​ങ്ങ​ളി​ലൂ​ടെ​യാ​ണ് (ഷോ​ക്ക് വേ​വ്‌​സ്) സി​റി​ഞ്ചി​ലെ മ​രു​ന്ന് ശ​രീ​ര​ത്തി​ൽ പ്ര​വേ​ശി​ക്കു​ന്ന​ത്. യ​ഥാ​ർ​ഥ​ത്തി​ൽ ത​ല​മു​ടി​യു​ടെ വീ​തി​യു​ള്ള ചെ​റി​യ മു​റി​വ് ഉ​ണ്ടാ​കു​ന്നു​വെ​ങ്കി​ലും അ​ത് വേ​ദ​ന​യു​ണ്ടാ​ക്കു​ന്നി​ല്ല. ബാ​ൾ പോ​യ​ന്റ് പേ​ന​യേ​ക്കാ​ൾ അ​ൽ​പം​കൂ​ടി നീ​ളം​കൂ​ടി​യ​താ​ണ് പു​തി​യ സി​റി​ഞ്ച്. ഇ​തി​ന്റെ ഒ​രു​ഭാ​ഗ​ത്ത് സ​മ്മ​ർ​ദ​മേ​റി​യ നൈ​ട്ര​ജ​ൻ വാ​ത​ക​മാ​ണ് ഉ​പ​യോ​ഗി​ക്കു​ന്ന​ത്.

സ​മ്മ​ർ​ദ​ത്തി​ലൂ​ടെ മ​രു​ന്ന് ശ​രീ​ര​ത്തി​ലേ​ക്ക് ക​യ​റു​മ്പോ​ൾ കു​ത്തി​വെ​ച്ച​താ​യി അ​റി​യു​ക​പോ​ലു​മി​ല്ല. അ​തേ​സ​മ​യം, ‘ഷോ​ക്ക് സി​റി​ഞ്ച്’ ഉ​ട​ൻ വി​പ​ണി​യി​​ൽ എ​ത്താ​ൻ സാ​ധ്യ​ത​യി​ല്ല. എ​ലി​ക​ളി​ൽ പ​രീ​ക്ഷി​ച്ച് വി​ജ​യി​ച്ചെ​ങ്കി​ലും മ​നു​ഷ്യ​രി​ൽ പ​രീ​ക്ഷി​ച്ച് വേ​ണ്ട മാ​റ്റം വ​രു​ത്തു​ക​യും നി​യ​ന്ത്ര​ണ അ​തോ​റി​റ്റി​ക​ളു​ടെ അം​ഗീ​കാ​രം ല​ഭി​ക്കു​ക​യും വേ​ണം. താ​ങ്ങാ​ൻ ക​ഴി​യു​ന്ന വി​ല​യി​ൽ ല​ഭ്യ​മാ​ക്കാ​നും ക​ഴി​യ​ണം.

Say goodbye to the fear of needles, the syringe just got a painless upgrade. Holding out much promise is a prototype of a needle-free syringe developed by a team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. Believe it or not, this potentially ground-breaking syringe was inspired not by medicine but by the world of aerospace engineering.

Called a ‘shock syringe’, it was developed by a team led by Prof Viren Menezes of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT-Bombay. The breakthrough offers an alternative for patients who fear needle pricks, often leading to missed vaccinations and delayed treatments.

A research paper published in September 2024 in the Journal of Biomedical Materials & Devices, compared the efficacy of the shock syringe’s drug delivery to traditional needles in laboratory rats and, it said, the results are promising. It showed not only comparable efficacy but also reduced skin trauma and quicker healing.

So, how does the syringe work? Unlike conventional syringes, which rely on needles to penetrate the skin, the shock syringe uses high-energy shock waves, which travel faster than the speed of sound, to deliver drugs. In an effect similar to what happens during a sonic boom, where an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound, shock waves compress the surrounding medium, pushing it at high speed. In the syringe, the shock wave creates a microjet of liquid drug that penetrates the skin without causing significant discomfort.

Priyanka Hankare, research scholar and lead author of the study, said the team started working on the device in 2021 and took two and a half years to develop it. Slightly longer than a ballpoint pen, the shock syringe features a micro-shock tube with three components: driver, driven and drug holder. It releases pressurised nitrogen gas, which generates a microjet that travels at speeds twice as fast as a commercial airplane during takeoff, said Hankare.

“As an aerospace engineer, I have always viewed shock waves as a powerful and often destructive phenomenon—capable of breaking barriers and creating immense forces. However, this project reimagines the potential of shock waves, transforming them into something constructive and beneficial. By applying the principles of shock-wave dynamics, we can design needle-free drug delivery systems that not only overcome the trauma associated with traditional injections but also pave the way for a more comfortable and accessible healthcare experience for all,” said Hankare, who has an MTech degree in aerospace engineering from IIT-Kanpur and is now pursuing a PhD degree from IIT-Bombay.

In the research paper, Professor Menezes said, “The researchers conducted tests using three types of drugs, including an anaesthetic (Ketamine-Xylazine), an antifungal (Terbinafine), and insulin. The shock syringe matched the anaesthetic effect of traditional needles and performed better with viscous formulations like terbinafine, depositing the drug deeper into the skin layers. For diabetic rats, insulin delivered via the shock syringe maintained lower blood sugar levels for a longer duration compared to needle injections.”

He also claimed that the shock syringe causes less skin damage and inflammation than a traditional syringe, allowing for quicker healing at the injection site.

The shock syringe holds immense promise for making immunisation drives quicker and more efficient, particularly for children and adults with a needle phobia. Its design reduces the risk of needle-stick injuries, which can spread blood-borne diseases, and offers cost-effective reliability with over 1,000 uses per nozzle replacement.

Hankare said the team is in the process of filing for a patent and will then apply for regulatory approval.

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