Painless Paper Patch Test for Glucose Levels Uses Microneedles

Patches seem to be all the rage these days. There are birth control patches, nicotine patches, and transdermal medicinal patches, just to name a few. Now, a team of researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, have developed a patch of needles connected to a paper sensor for diagnosing conditions such as prediabetes. Luckily, this patch doesn't multiply the pain and discomfort of a single hypodermic needle. In fact, these microneedles are painless and biodegradable.