"Microneedles" on a patch. Photo by Fiorenzo Omenetto.

The Wall Street Journal’s “Week in Ideas” featured a segment about “pain-free” needles. (You’ll have to scroll to the bottom of the page to see the snippet.) Albeit brief, the two paragraphs caught my attention. How great would it be to say, “This won’t hurt a bit,” when giving an injection? Really. Great.

Created by Tufts University engineers, silk proteins hold and deliver “substantial doses’ of medications much like other medication patches many healthcare professionals are accustomed to. Not only does the invention solve the injection-fright, but the proteins dissolve naturally, meaning there are no sharps needing disposal.

I am thinking two contrasting thoughts simultaneously: This is like the Jetson’s-future-healthcare-stuff. and What took so long for this?

I know it will be a while before we see more of this, but I’ll definitely be watching.