A simple gas pump that slowly dispenses drugs via an intravenous drip could soon make it easier to treat seriously ill people at home, in remote communities without electricity or even on the battlefield.Many of the drugs used for cancer chemotherapy or as painkillers have to be slowly infused intravenously at a precisely controlled rate. This normally requires patients to be connected to a computer-controlled pump, often for several hours or longer. Portable versions for use at home are expensive, and restrict movement because they have to be plugged into the mains. Battery-powered versions need frequent recharging. But no longer, perhaps, thanks to physicist Paul Dastoor and the gas-powered Mobi-Drip device he has developed at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. The device ensures a steady drug flow by maintaining a constant gas pressure around a standard flexible drip bag.
