Homeopathic, indeed. <a href="http://www.unboundmedicine.com/harrietlane/ub/citation/15135208/In_vitro_predictions_of_skin_absorption_of_caffeine_testosterone_and_benzoic_acid:_a_multi_centre_comparison_study_" rel="nofollow">http://www.unboundmedicine.com/harrietlane/ub/citation/15135...</a> states about 2 microgram/cm^2/h absorption of caffeine.<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine</a> gives about 100 milligram per cup of coffee.<p>Assuming 100 cm^2 exposure area, you would need a milligram per cm^2 for a "cup of coffee equivalent". That's 500 hours ("three weeks")<p>And that is assuming that this spray is equivalent to whatever van de Sandt er al used to get caffeine on the skin (I would guess they applied way more than a spray would apply)<p>On the other hand, high pressure spraying (better called jet injection; see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_injector" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_injector</a>) might work. I think that would require FDA approval, though.
<i>[His] father, who has a Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry and owns his own lab in China, helped develop it.</i><p>I love the irony. Peter Thiel was trying to make a point with his "College Dropout Challenge", but this product was really developed by someone with a graduate-level education.
>The big idea is to make caffeine palatable to people who get the jitters from coffee and energy drinks. Four sprays, the recommended dose, has less caffeine than a cup of coffee, Yu says.<p>I guess they've never heard of tea?
It sounds like the main benefits from the spray as opposed to coffee / tea are: 1) Cost 2) Convenience.<p>The spray will cost about $0.38 per dose.<p>The competition isn't coffee or tea but caffeine pills, which are cheaper and about as convenient. It looks like you can get 120 100 mg pills on Amazon for $5, or $0.04 per dose. I don't see the benefit of a spray as opposed to pills.
> "The world's toughest problems aren't going to solve themselves!"<p>What problem does this solve? Sleep deprivation for people who don't drink soda, tea or coffee?
This is sure to be successful. The Indiegogo campaign <i>already</i> went over its limit, with 41 days left to go. Kudo's to young Ben Yu.<p>I can't help but be reminded of the Caffeine Patch scene from <i>Meet the Robinsons</i>, though.<p><i>Mr. Willerstein: Dr. Krunklehorn, I know you're very busy at Inventco Labs. And we're just so happy to have you as a judge.<p>Lucille Krunklehorn: It's my pleasure, Mr. Willerstein. Hey, you never know, one of your students may invent the next integrated circuit, or microprocessor, or integrated circuit. Oh wait, I said that already. Well, I just don't get out of the lab very much. Is that a bowtie? I like bowties. I haven't slept in eight days!<p>Mr. Willerstein: Uh, well then, can I get you a cot or something?<p>Lucille Krunklehorn: Nope, I have the caffeine patch. It's my invention. Each patch is the equivalent of 12 cups of coffee. You can stay up for days with no side effects. AHHH!!! Sorry.</i><p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR4DzHo5hz8" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR4DzHo5hz8</a>
This is interesting because it's an end-run around the FDA's current regulations on caffeine intake. Reminds me of when Five-hour Energy claimed they weren't an energy drink but an energy "shot" and shouldn't be held to the same regulations.
The "How it Works" page looks very clip-art-y to me: <a href="http://sprayable.co/pages/how-it-works/" rel="nofollow">http://sprayable.co/pages/how-it-works/</a><p>Reinforces the homeopathic points I suppose.