Some people are terrified of needles and therefore don't want to get vaccinated. Based on this observation, a researcher has developed a device in the form of a gun. This Bubble Gun allows you to perform a needle-free injection.
In the midst of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, many people do not want to be injected. Beyond the reluctance towards vaccines, some individuals have a phobia:belenophobia , i.e. fear of needles. In an article published by La Dépêche in July 2021, psychotherapist Rodolphe Oppenheimer reminds us that it is not just the irrational fear of needles. Indeed, this phobia also concerns sharp objects. However, the affected person can trigger hypoventilation and put yourself in apnea, which can go as far as feeling faint.
What if this brake on vaccination finds a scientific answer? This one could come from David Fernandez Rivasde of the University of Twente (Netherlands, research affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)). In a publication on his personal blog, he indeed presents an innovation taking the name of Bubble Gun. It is nothing more than a needleless vaccine gun . In fact, the device uses a laser technologist whose mission is to transfer the vaccine through the outer layer of the skin.
Besides solving the problem generated by belenophobia, the Bubble Gun would have other advantages. Since this innovation does not penetrate the blood, the usual risks of spreading diseases caused by contaminated needles are therefore non-existent. In addition, the ecological dimension is not negligible. Indeed, it will be possible to say goodbye to the many waste needles, the treatment of which is not obvious. Funding from the European Union has already made it possible to carry out tests on tissue samples. However, a new fundraiser was requested for the purpose of performing clinical trials. In the near future, David Fernandez Rivasde and his team should be looking for volunteers ready to support the project.
Depending on how the project unfolds, the Bubble Gun should be on the market within one to three years. In the meantime, this innovation will have to undergo numerous tests before claiming to receive the green light from the authorities sanitary facilities.
Finally, belenophobia (which affects 30% of adults in the Netherlands (see video at the end of the article)) has never been a major problem . Nevertheless, this phobia is of growing concern in the current context, especially for people who urgently need to be vaccinated, starting with those affected by comorbidity factors.
