Swansea University developing world’s first COVID-19 ‘Smart-Patch’ vaccine that will measure effectiveness

The research, from the Institute for Innovative Materials, Processing and Numerical Technologies (IMPACT), will produce the vaccine through the use of microneedles (MNs) to create a ‘smart-patch’. This device will simultaneously measure a patient’s inflammatory response to the vaccination by monitoring biomarkers in the skin.

Close-up of a microneedle (top) compared to a hypodermic needle, showing how microneedles are far less invasive.

Dr Sanjiv Sharma of Swansea University and a team of researchers with expertise in the use of microneedle arrays for transdermal therapeutic drug delivery and diagnostic applications will lead the project, titled Smart vaccine devices for delivery of COVID-19 vaccination.

The team will build on these distinct technologies by developing the first dual functionality microneedle-based COVID-19 smart-patch, capable of delivering a vaccine and measuring the immune response in the form of protein biomarkers thus establishing the efficacy of vaccination.

Learn more about our COVID-19 ‘Smart-Patch’ vaccination research

Health innovation – find out more about Swansea University research