New Spiky Eye Patch Delivers Drugs

The concept of an eye patch lined with needles may not sound appealing, but it could save your eye. According to a recent Science Alert article, scientists have developed a way to penetrate the protective layers of the eye in order to deliver medicine. The solution is a patch containing dissolvable needles that deliver a controlled amount of medicine over an extended period of time.

Once applied to the eye, fluid seeps into the area between the needles and dissolves it, leaving only the tiny micro-needles embedded in the cornea. Next, the outer layer surrounding the needles dissolves and delivers a strong dose of medicine. The rest of the needle breaks down in the same way over the next few days, unloading the remainder of the medicine. The concept has only been tested on mice, but the results were promising, healing 90% of oxygen deprivation in the cornea.