Makarand Paranjape / Georgetown news

A biomedical breakthrough led by Indian-origin physicist Makarand Paranjape could soon enable patients to monitor diseases—without ever drawing blood. 

Paranjape, associate professor of physics and director of the Georgetown Nanoscience and Microfabrication Cleanroom Lab (GNuLab) at Georgetown University, has developed a non-invasive transdermal patch that detects biomarkers through the skin, eliminating the need for traditional blood tests.

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The patch can also be adapted for controlled drug delivery, making it a dual-function platform that could reshape chronic disease management.

“You’re inserting a needle into your arm or abdomen and putting a sensor inside the body to detect blood glucose. Anytime you put something in your body, it’s going to be attacked by your own immune system,” Paranjape said. “We’re trying to avoid that entirely.”

Transforming diagnostics

The patch uses an array of microheaters, each about the size of a human hair, to briefly heat the skin and create microscopic pores in its outermost layer. Through these pores, interstitial fluid—a clear liquid that surrounds cells and contains disease-related biomarkers—naturally rises to the surface. This enables non-invasive sampling without pain or needles.

“The interstitial fluid is like a pre-filtered blood sample,” Paranjape explained. “You don’t have red or white blood cells in the way. And with our device, the fluid comes up naturally—no need to insert anything into the body.”

With a background in electrical engineering, Paranjape began developing this technology more than two decades ago through funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. He has since secured a portfolio of patents through Georgetown’s Office of Technology Commercialization.

Initially focused on glucose monitoring for diabetes patients, the patch was confirmed to be pain-free in a pilot clinical trial. It may replace finger-prick tests and implanted sensors, offering a discreet and low-maintenance alternative to current solutions.

Expanding use

Paranjape is now adapting the patch to detect other disease biomarkers, including those associated with traumatic brain injury and cystic fibrosis. A clinical trial involving cystic fibrosis patients is expected to begin soon.

The next phase of his research involves transforming the patch into a drug delivery system. Unlike most existing drug patches that require chemical reformulation, Paranjape’s device can deliver off-the-shelf medications through the micropores created by the patch.

“Most transdermal patches today need the drug to be specially tailored,” Paranjape said. “Our technology avoids that. We’re creating pathways through the skin so the drug can diffuse directly into the bloodstream.”

This method could improve the efficacy of treatments for diseases like Parkinson’s, where oral medications such as Levodopa lose potency as they pass through the gastrointestinal system.

“Almost 90 percent of Levodopa is broken down before reaching the brain,” he said. “Delivering the drug through the skin avoids that loss and lowers the required dosage.”

To market

Paranjape’s work at GNuLab integrates microfabrication and nanotechnology to address real-world medical challenges. His lab is currently experimenting with programmable drug release and exploring new therapeutic targets.

He is also preparing to launch a startup venture to commercialize the patch. While the device has so far been tested for a few diseases, Paranjape sees wider potential.

“If there’s a marker in the blood that can be detected in interstitial fluid, you can use the patch,” he said. “And if there’s a drug that needs to be delivered efficiently, you can use the patch for that too. It’s all about improving the quality of life—and I believe this technology will.”

Paranjape joined Georgetown University in 1998. He holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Alberta and has conducted postdoctoral research at Concordia University, Simon Fraser University, and UC Berkeley. His research experience includes stints at the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center (BSAC) and Italy’s IRST.

He has served on review panels for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and other international agencies. He is also on the editorial boards of Biomedical Microdevices and Sensors and Materials.