Microscopic Light Sabers for Drug Delivery

Posted by Miss Cellania in Gadget, Medicine on November 23, 2008 at 9:04 am


A team from the University of St Andrews in Scotland has developed a machine only 2 millimeters wide that can fire a tiny laser beam so accurately that it can puncture individual cells!

The device was developed by Professor Kishan Dholakia from the university’s school of physics and Dr Frank Gunn-Moore from the school of biology.

Dr Gunn-Moore said: “You could think of these as tiny light sabres like they had in Star Wars inside your body.

“We can use lasers to punch tiny holes exactly where we want them. We can produce a rod of light – sometimes described as a sword – that can even go around objects. It really does sound like science fiction.”

The new device relies on a method called “photoporation”, allowing insoluble compounds such as genes and drugs to be injected into individual cells with the assistance of light.

Link -Thanks, Yash!


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COMMENT

4 comments to "Microscopic Light Sabers for Drug Delivery"

  1. Mr ElRayes
    November 23rd, 2008 at 11:45 am

    Read the whole article wondering when the light could deliver drugs.

    then 11 words from the end i want 'auwww. i see what you meaan."

  2. Scooter
    November 24th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    Wow, science. I mean wow. 20 years from now this will be really cool.

  3. Byrd Brain
    November 24th, 2008 at 3:57 pm

    “You could think of these as tiny light sabres like they had in Star Wars inside your body."

    I don't see how this would be helpful without the tiny Yoda in your body to control the lighsaber.

  4. Rocky Rook
    November 25th, 2008 at 9:48 pm

    The nanoites will control them.


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