NARRATION
Mark Kendall was a young engineer wanting to revolutionize an old medical technique.

Prof Mark Kendall
It's really about improving the reach of vaccines. So I decided to take a step back and think about a different way of doing that and being bored in a presentation provided me the scope just to think and, and doodle.

NARRATION
Several years later, the nanopatch was developed.

Dr Maryanne Demasi
It's been hailed a game changer in the way we deliver vaccines.

NARRATION
First invented in 1853, the needle and syringe is still the most common way to deliver vaccines but this has problems.

Prof Mark Kendall
Most of us don't like the needle. That can lead to needle phobia - that's holding back people getting vaccinated. There's needle stick injuries. That becomes a very big problem in a place like Africa but beyond that also the vaccine's in liquid form and the problem there is you need to refrigerate the vaccine and that's expensive and, and cumbersome.

Dr Maryanne Demasi
So Mark, how do you actually apply the nanopatch?

Prof Mark Kendall
This is a, a mock up of an applicator. Normally we'd have a nanopatch in this housing but in this particular case not. So this is how we apply it and that's the process.

Dr Maryanne Demasi
So that's it?

Prof Mark Kendall
That's it.

Dr Maryanne Demasi
No pain.

Prof Mark Kendall
No pain.

NARRATION
The prototype contains hundreds of tiny projections, each dry coated with the vaccine. They've tested several different types of vaccines like influenza, human papillomavirus and even malaria. 

Dr Maryanne Demasi
Most vaccines are injected into the muscle where there's only a few immune cells but the nanopatch delivers it where we need it most.

NARRATION
Just below the skin is an abundant supply of immune cells so the amount of vaccine required is a hundred fold less.

Prof Mark Kendall
The nanopatch presents the possibility of just using a fraction of the dose compared to the needle and syringe and we've proven that in the mouse model and we seek to, to prove that in, in humans.

NARRATION
3D mapping of the skin shows the immune cells in green, engulfing the vaccine in red. The interaction is quick.

Prof Mark Kendall
Our published work shows that it's two minutes of application time. More recent work suggests that it could be down to just a few seconds.

NARRATION
In the event of a pandemic, these patches could be posted out to thousands of people because they don't need refrigeration and they can be self administered. But beyond delivering vaccines, the nanopatch is now showing a huge potential in the area of diagnosing diseases like dengue fever.

Prof Mark Kendall
The symptoms for malaria and, and dengue are identical and if you're trying to differentiate between the two before applying the medication, you can apply a patch, turn it around and on the spot get a colour to tell you what you have.

NARRATION
It's been over a decade in the making but Mark's sketch on his notepad will soon become a reality.

Prof Mark Kendall
It's one, one of the best feelings I think you can have that you have an idea and it turns out to work better than you'd expected. It's a journey that takes many years, it's a long game but it's one that we're committed to and working hard on.

STORY CONTACTS

Prof Mark Kendall 
Biomedical Engineer, University of Queensland