A millionth of a millimeter in size, nanodiamonds can be coated with medicine and sent into body tissue through the skin without inflicting harm.
The skin is one of the largest and most accessible organs in the human body but penetrating its deep layers for medicinal and cosmetic treatments has proven challenging.
Researchers at Bar-Ilan University (BIU) in Israel are meeting that challenge with nanometric diamond particles small enough to deliver such remedies safely through the epidermis, dermis and fat layers of the skin.
They also created a noninvasive laser-based optical method that quantifies nanodiamond penetration and determines their location and concentration within body tissue, eliminating the need for a biopsy.
Image - Courtesy of Aharon Hefer