Scientists at the University of North Carolina have created a skin patch that can receive commands from a smartphone and release medication when needed.
The thin, gentle patch has many small microneedles filled with various medicines. A wireless signal heats up each microneedle, making their gold coating break apart and release the drugs onto the skin. The drugs come out in just 30 seconds from specific needles. In mouse tests, the patch successfully delivered the sleep hormone melatonin when activated.
This innovative patch has the potential to change how chronic illnesses are treated. It can schedule and provide various medications during the day without the need for injections or constant pill-taking, making life easier and better for patients.
