Innovation of the week: Shots that don't hurt

From squeamish toddlers to muscle-bound tough guys, nobody likes getting a shot, said Michael Franco at CNET.com. Now a team of freshmen at Rice University have developed a gadget that "might bring relief" to the procedure. The device, dubbed Comfortably Numb and made using a 3-D printer, combines water and ammonium nitrate — the same ingredients found in instant ice packs — to cool injection sites and make needle pricks less painful.

The students are currently applying for a provisional patent and hope to incorporate a needle into the device "so that doctors will be able to numb and inject in one procedure." The technology could eventually be adapted for nonmedical uses like tattooing and piercing, said developer Greg Allison, but for now "we are targeting anyone who has to get an injection, which is nearly everyone."

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