A wirelessly operated implantable microchip that feeds drug medication directly into the bloodstream has been successfully trialed by American scientists.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston tested the wafer-thin, 1.3cm-long and half a cm thick microchip to deliver drugs into the body of seven women suffering from the bone disease, osteoporosis.
The device was inserted just below the waistline and stored 20 doses of the teriparatide drug in pinprick-sized reservoirs.
A computer was wirelessly linked to the implant to ensure the correct dosage of drug was released from the reservoir, at the right time.
Each of the drug storage walls is sealed with a layer of platinum and titanium that melts when a small current is applied from the microchip.
Researchers hope that the wireless drugs device will be commercially available within five years and could potentially take the place of daily injections, as the tests found the device just as effective than regular jabs.
"You could literally have a pharmacy on a chip. You can do remote control deliver, you can do pulsatile drug deliver, and you can deliver multiple drugs," professor Robert Langer from the study, said in a statement.
Scientists are hoping that future chips will be able to contain different drugs and operated the same way to treat other health conditions. They also predict that this could open the doors to a new era of 'telemedicine' where medical experts can administer drugs from far away.
A company set up by scientists called, MicroCHIPS Inc, is now further developing the treatment and they hope their findings will make a significant change to the way drugs are given.
Dr Robert Farra, president of MicroCHIPS, told the Press Association: "These data validate the microchip approach to multi-year drug delivery without the need for frequent injections, which can improve the management of many chronic diseases like osteoporosis, where adherence to therapy is a significant problem.
"We look forward to making further progress to advance our first device toward regulatory approvals, as well as developing a range of products for use in important disease areas such as oesteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer and chronic pain."
This news follows the creation of a 'crab robot' - that is designed to remove stomach cancer using its electronically-controlled pincer and hook.
