Chapter 23
Needleless or Noninvasive Delivery Technology
Akshay Datey, Jagadeesh Gopalan, and Dipshikha Chakravortty
Abstract
Injections of drugs or vaccines have become an indispensable part of living systems. Introduction to
injections begins from the vaccination regimen at the neonatal stage and continues throughout the life
span of an individual. Conventionally, injections are administered using hypodermic needles and syringes.
These usually inject the liquid in the muscle, thus making intramuscular injections the most common form
of administration. Although hypodermic syringes have been a clinician’s tool in global vaccination efforts,
they also have a set of undesirable characteristics. Pathogen transmission in case of HIV and HBV is one of
the deadliest disadvantages of the needle-based injection system. Generation of plastic wastes in clinics,
needlestick injury, and most importantly, pain associated with needle-based injections are a few more
reasons of concern. In light of these issues, developing needle-free injection systems has excited researchers
across the globe since the 1950s. Significant advancement has been reported in this field and various needlefree injection systems have been developed and are in clinical practice. This article briefly describes the
history of needle-free injection systems and provides a detailed account of a few well-known methods of
needle-less injections available.
Key words Needle-free, Injections, Vaccine, Nanoparticle, Microinjections
1 Introduction
Vaccination is most commonly administered using syringes and
needles. Although it is an age-old practice which has proven its
efficacy in clinics worldwide, needle-based methods are not foolproof [1]. Several shortcomings of which include needle phobia,
accidental needle-stick injury, and improper disposal and reuse of
needles and syringes which leads to transmission of infections which
include HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) [2]. Development of
needle-free methods of injection has been of interest to researchers
across the globe. Several methods have been reported to be efficient
in delivering therapeutics and vaccines [3]. Needle-free liquid jet
injections have the highest success rate and the longest history in
delivering therapeutics to humans and animals so far [4]. Liquid jet
injectors have been successfully demonstrated to be able to deliver
several macromolecules, including vaccines, insulin, and growth
Blaine A. Pfeifer and Andrew Hill (eds.), Vaccine Delivery Technology: Methods and Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology,
vol. 2183, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0795-4_23, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
437
Needleless or Noninvasive Delivery Technology
Akshay Datey, Jagadeesh Gopalan, and Dipshikha Chakravortty
Abstract
Injections of drugs or vaccines have become an indispensable part of living systems. Introduction to
injections begins from the vaccination regimen at the neonatal stage and continues throughout the life
span of an individual. Conventionally, injections are administered using hypodermic needles and syringes.
These usually inject the liquid in the muscle, thus making intramuscular injections the most common form
of administration. Although hypodermic syringes have been a clinician’s tool in global vaccination efforts,
they also have a set of undesirable characteristics. Pathogen transmission in case of HIV and HBV is one of
the deadliest disadvantages of the needle-based injection system. Generation of plastic wastes in clinics,
needlestick injury, and most importantly, pain associated with needle-based injections are a few more
reasons of concern. In light of these issues, developing needle-free injection systems has excited researchers
across the globe since the 1950s. Significant advancement has been reported in this field and various needlefree injection systems have been developed and are in clinical practice. This article briefly describes the
history of needle-free injection systems and provides a detailed account of a few well-known methods of
needle-less injections available.
Key words Needle-free, Injections, Vaccine, Nanoparticle, Microinjections
1 Introduction
Vaccination is most commonly administered using syringes and
needles. Although it is an age-old practice which has proven its
efficacy in clinics worldwide, needle-based methods are not foolproof [1]. Several shortcomings of which include needle phobia,
accidental needle-stick injury, and improper disposal and reuse of
needles and syringes which leads to transmission of infections which
include HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) [2]. Development of
needle-free methods of injection has been of interest to researchers
across the globe. Several methods have been reported to be efficient
in delivering therapeutics and vaccines [3]. Needle-free liquid jet
injections have the highest success rate and the longest history in
delivering therapeutics to humans and animals so far [4]. Liquid jet
injectors have been successfully demonstrated to be able to deliver
several macromolecules, including vaccines, insulin, and growth
Blaine A. Pfeifer and Andrew Hill (eds.), Vaccine Delivery Technology: Methods and Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology,
vol. 2183, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0795-4_23, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
437