Uni Halle / Fanfan Du
Most of the time, we utilise body sprays to get rid of mosquitoes. Even herbs like sage & rosemary can be used to keep them out of our houses.
Scientists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg have developed a revolutionary approach to delivering insect repellant (MLU). On August 25, the findings were released in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics.
A 3D printer is used to “encapsulate” the active ingredient and then build the required shape, such as a ring that may be worn and emit a long-lasting mosquito repellant.
To make their prototypes, the researchers utilised the insect repellent “IR3535” made by MERCK.
“IR3535-containing sprays that repel mosquitoes have been in use all over the world for a long time. This is why we’ve been using the agent in our testing “René Androsch, an MLU professor, stated in the press announcement. It often comes as a spray or lotion and provides protection for several hours.
René Androsch et al.
3D printing technology has been used
Using sophisticated 3D printing technology, insect repellent was carefully injected into a biodegradable polymer, and the combination of materials was effectively formed in various ways.
As suggested by Fanfan Du, lead author of the study and PhD student at MLU, the central idea is that insect repellents continuously evaporate and create a barrier for insects.
The rate at which insect repellent evaporates is affected by a variety of parameters including temperature, concentration and the structure of the polymer used. After various tests and calculations, the team assumes that the insect repellent will take more than a week to evaporate. completely evaporate at 37°C (98.6°F or body temperature).
The study is still in its early stages, despite the researchers’ assertion that this is possible. Androsch claims that additional investigation is required to determine how well the rings function in actual environments. Additionally, the encapsulating material could be improved.
