Controllable needle-free injection : development and verification of a novel device

Abstract

Current needle-free injection technology is based on actuation via compressed springs or gas. These devices are not easy to modify for different depths of injections. This thesis describes the design and verification of a handheld needle-free device which is capable of various injection depths via electrical control of a Lorentz-force voice coil actuator. A benchtop proof-of-concept device was created to prove the concept of needle-free injection using a voice coil. After the successful testing of the proof-of-concept device, a handheld prototype was designed, manufactured, and tested. The controllability of injections was tested on excised sheep tissue in-vitro. The handheld device was also tested in-vivo on sheep midside and was shown to give comparable injections to a needle for delivery of the drug collagenase. The controllable needle-free injection principles described in this thesis could be used in human or veterinary applications.