Last month we heard about a promising laser system being developed by the Air Force that would quickly bond tissues like skin for faster healing and prevention of infection. This laser seems to act like a ‘dermal regenerator’ from Star Trek. In Star Trek, dermal regenerators were one of four futuristic items commonly found in medical kits. Now we can cross another item off the list as science-fiction becomes science-fact!

The most prominent medical device in Star Trek is the ‘hypospray’. Hyposprays supposedly use a noninvasive transport mechanism of compressed air to transfer the injectant from the device into the subdermal layer below the skin, without the use of a needle. The device pictured above is not a fictional Star Trek object, rather P.L.E.A.S.E. – a painless laser epidermal system used to deliver drugs, medications and vaccines without a needle, directly through the skin. Instead of air, it uses a laser to create a micropore in the epidermis to deliver the high molecular weight medication. The micropore is so tiny that there is no pain and no bleeding. This device can potentially be used for pain control, diabetes management, in-vitro fertilization, and much more!

The best news? This device is not something far-fetched or in development. According to the tech-news site Dvice, it has just been approved for sale in Europe and likely will come here in the near future.

P.S.- the other two items in a Star Trek medical kit? A Tricorder (became reality as the iPhone) with a medical scanner attachment and a Trauma kit.