For patients who are afraid of injections, technology can help them deal with phobias of the jab. Scientists have developed a skin patch that can inject drugs into your body without pain. Doctors can use HP's patented technology to push drugs through several small syringes, which inject into the top layers of the skin avoiding any contact with the pain receptors.

Analysts say that the patch is ideal for quickly administering a patient's daily dose of insulin; however, an expert told BBC News that a procedure like that could increase vulnerability to infections. Professor and researcher Brian Barry, from the University of Bradford, said "The stratum corneum is the layer of skin that keeps your insides in, and the outside world out, and it's perfectly designed for this. The manufacturers would have to demonstrate that making lots of small holes in the skin wasn't letting bacteria and viruses in and causing infection."

The patch, which has 150 micro-needles, is based on inkjet printer cartridge technology from HP. Explaining the technology used in the patch injection, Hewlett Packard spokesman Charlie Chapman told Daily Mail newspaper, "The device aims to provide a pain-free means of delivering medication to the human body. The patch will radically reduce the discomfort felt by patients when compared with traditional hypodermics." HP has approved Irish biotechnology firm Crospon to manufacture the patches and make them available in the market by 2010.