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Technology from inkjet printers leads to drug delivery patch
12/09/2007 11:45
Office equipment manufacturer HP has announced that it has signed a deal with medical firm Cropson to develop a drug delivery patch.
HP Labs based the patch on technology which is used in inkjet printers, which permits medication to be released in a highly-controlled manner.
Tiny needles deliver the drugs below the surface of the skin, rather than through the skin itself - as is done with nicotine patches.
Charlie Chapman, director of intellectual property licensing at HP, told IT Pro that the use of tightly-packed heater elements to trigger needles works in the same way as inkjet printers.
"It's the exact same process, inverted. Instead of a nozzle, there's a needle," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Joe Beyers, vice president of intellectual property licensing at the office equipment firm, said: "By licensing core intellectual property in thermal inkjet technology for use in a drug delivery product, HP breathes new life into its mature technology while capitalising on the booming healthcare and life sciences market."
HP recently launched 56 new mobile devices, including two smartphones, two PDAs and one GPS system.
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