"THE PATCH" -- FOR FOOD
For years, smokers looking to quit have used "the patch" to deliver small doses of their nicotine fix. Now the Army is working on a similar system -- to give soldiers the nutrients they need during wartime.
Here's how the Transdermal Nutrient Delivery System might work, its developers say: tiny physiological monitors would keep tabs on a soldier's metabolism, and then send information on his nutritional needs to a processor. This processor would then trigger a microelectrical mechanical system that would transmit the micronutrients either through skin pores or pumped directly into blood capillaries -- into the soldier's body.
But don't expect relief from those nasty-tasting rations any time soon. The Natick Soldier Center says it won't be ready for another decade, at least.
© Copyright 2024 Military.com. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Military.com, please submit your request here.
