Smart Insulin Patches: Revolutionizing Allergic Reaction Treatment

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The microneedle-array patch design by Yu et al. offers unique characteristics for medical disorders; the smart insulin patch utilizes a closed loop drug delivery mechanism that is safe and painless. This same platform has the potential to treat various conditions such as a severe allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis is a grave, multi-system allergic reaction due to exposure to a chemical allergen that causes activation of the body’s immune system. As a result, various tissues within the body release histamines and other drugs that can cause complications such as inflammation, diffuse erythema, unconsciousness, and shock [6]. In extreme cases, this volatile inflammation can block an individual’s airways to prevent breathing and may lead to death if …show more content…

This will lead to larger perforations on skin and perhaps pain for the patient when applied. Furthermore, the breaking of blood vessels can lead to thrombosis which may cause further complications with drug delivery. Moreover, since the microneedle-array size changes, it must be durable enough to withstand mechanical stresses when applying the patch. This may change the design and material of the microneedle-array patch. It must have higher mechanical strength while remaining biocompatible on initial contact. Also, it must not exhibit toxic degradation products when used. Further research is needed to understand how vesicles can react with a change in the environment from an allergic reaction. For example, the release of histamines can trigger a reaction for the vesicle to disassociate and release epinephrine and antihistamines, similar to how oxygen consumption creates a hypoxic environment in which the GRVs can disassociate to release

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