News Health & Medicine

This painless nanoneedle patch might one day replace certain biopsies

The patch quickly collects molecular data from inside cells without damaging them

What looks like different colored balls (smooth muscle cells seen in false color) sit atop a turquoise patch studded with tiny nanoneedles.

Smooth muscle cells from a human coronary artery sit atop a patch containing millions of nanoneedles in this false color image. The patch might one day eliminate the need for certain biopsies.

Ciro Chiappini and Cong Wang

By Payal Dhar

A patch containing tens of millions of nanoneedles can read what’s happening in our cells on the fly, potentially eliminating the need for time-consuming biopsies.