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t m c » p u l s e | m a y 2 0 1 5 38 SHORT TAKES Rice Students Work to Ease the Pain of Needle Injections I f the Rice University freshman engi- neering design team Comfortably Numb has it their way, children will be less fearful and feel less pain when they go to the doctor's office for a shot. The trio of freshmen has created a device to ease the pain of an injection. Their device numbs the skin prior to a shot by producing a rapid chemical reaction to cool the patient's skin. The team, made up of computer sci- ence major Greg Allison, bioengineer- ing major Andy Zhang and mechanical engineering major Mike Hua, currently has a functioning prototype that has shown to produce a measurable numb- ing effect in 60 seconds, which in turn reduces the pain from an injection. "Our (lab) device is 3-D-printed and consists of two sealed chambers con- taining the chemical ammonium nitrate and water," Hua said. "A simple twist- ing motion moves the chambers into alignment to allow the chemicals to flow through the chamber to produce a rapid endothermic reaction. We then numb the skin by contacting the device's metal surface to the patient's skin." The team said that current solu- tions are either ineffective, because they don't numb well enough, or they take too long. The team noted that a commonly used medicated topical patch takes about an hour to work. "Our solution works on the order of seconds and minutes," Zhang said. "We are targeting anyone who has to get an injection, which is nearly everyone," Allison said. "But the device is especially applicable to people who are more susceptible to pain," such as the elderly and children, he said. He also said it's intended for use during procedures "where you have to get shots in more sensitive areas of the body, such as the face or the groin." The team also recognized that other applications of this project could be ear piercings, swelling reduction and tattooing, although they are currently not addressing them at this phase. "At the end of the day, what we're cre- ating is a self-contained device with a very cold contact surface, and there are many applications for that," Allison said. "We looked into all sorts of methods for numbing, both quick and long-term, chemicals, using ice packs—which is similar to what we're using now," Hua said. "We explored everything that surrounded the problem before we even began brainstorming." Some of the solutions the team researched were very technical and required a materials science degree or skills the freshmen hadn't yet learned. "That's kind of the amazing thing about our project because we don't have these incredibly refined skills in certain areas; that meant that we had to think of very simple solutions," Allison said. "Being limited in that way led to something that is very novel and innovative but at the same time simple and elegant. — David Ruth, Rice University At the end of the day, what we're creating is a self-contained device with a very cold contact surface, and there are many applications for that. — GREG ALLISON Computer Science Student at Rice University At Houston IVF, we provide fertility solutions to couples who want help in building a family of their own. Houston IVF has consistently achieved high success rates through continuous refinements in clinical and laboratory techniques. With breakthrough technology and on-going research, Houston IVF has live birth rates higher compared to the national data. Call us today at 713-465-1211 or visit our web site HoustonIVF.net At houston ivf, birthdays are special. Dr. Timothy N. Hickman I Dr. Laurie J. McKenzie I Dr. Katherine K. McKnight 713.465.1211 I HoustonIVF.net All of the physicians at Houston IVF are Board Certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Not patients of Houston IVF HIVF.2014_Ads.8.7.14.added_line.indd 3 8/22/14 8:22 AM

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