Gallium Needles: Will It Change Our Society?
The latest invention of gallium needles aims to solve problems related to conventional disposable needles used in and out of medical facilities in our community.
(Image of gallium needle invented by Professor Jeong Jae-woong's team at KAIST after its first use)
What is Gallium?
Gallium, the 31st element of the periodic table, is a post-transition metal known for its low melting point. While other metals, such as element 30 (zinc) and element 32 (germanium), have a high melting point of 419.5℃ and 938.2℃, gallium’s melting point is only 29.8℃, a temperature that is lower than the average body temperature of humans. What allows gallium to have such a low melting point is its atomic radius. Gallium has three fully occupied energy levels and three valence electrons in its atomic structure. The full energy level limits the strong attraction from the atom’s nucleus, making it relatively easier to overcome the attractive force and change the state from solid to liquid.
The Problem-Solver
The gallium needle invented by Professor Jeong Jae-woong's team at KAIST is an outstanding alternative to the conventional needles in use. First, gallium’s low melting point allows the metal needle to change its state from solid to liquid after injection, reducing the wound from the shot and delivering the fluid safely at the same time. Furthermore, while conventional needles are solid and harm the blood vessels after injection, gallium needles can minimise the damage to blood vessels because of their ability to liquify inside our body.
Another aspect that gallium needles can solve is related to the ethical and hygienic use of injection needles. Unethical re-using of used needles is one of the common problems in cities like Kensington, Philadelphia, where legal and illegal drugs are sold and used publicly by countless people. If someone uses a needle that is already used by another person, he or she is exposed to the threat of hepatitis C and HIV infection, which are both immune system diseases that have no effective cure. Hence, commercialising gallium needles will physically prevent the reuse of needles, reducing the chances of being infected by such serious diseases.
Will it change our society?
Along with using the physical properties of gallium, Professor Jeong Jae-woong's team at KAIST applied a temperature sensor in the form of a nano-thin film to the needles to prevent the intravenous medication from being leaked. If the fluid leaks, the temperature of the needle drops, activating the sensor on the needle. This helps doctors and other monitoring experts track the injection of fluids to assure that the patient receiving the treatment does not go wrong.
Works Cited
MCP Group. #31 - Gallium - Ga, hobart.k12.in.us/ksms/PeriodicTable/gallium.htm. Accessed 27 Dec. 2023.
SBS. “딱딱했다 갑자기 ‘흐물흐물’...카이스트 놀라운 개발품 (자막뉴스) / SBS.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Nov. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWt32Sx-Y2w.