Opportunities
Syringe Transporter
The Technology
Many injectable medicines prescribed to patients in a hospital setting require a certain level of skilled assembly and preparation in a sterile/clean environment such as the pharmacy department’s manufacturing suite/s. Once these medicines have been assembled in a syringe they are then transported to the wards for administration to patients.
Normally during transport, the syringe is placed in a plastic bag prior to transportation. This is not an ideal solution as the plunger can be easily moved about and there is a risk of leakage as well as the possibility of air entering the syringe, which would compromise the integrity and sterility of the syringe. Also the syringe is not designed to be a storage vessel and as such is not typically robust enough to be transported around hospitals or to external customers when filled.
To over come this problem a Senior Pharmacist at a large NHS acute Trust in the North West has developed a novel syringe holder/transporter that would help over come the problems of leakage and integrity when a syringe is transported from the pharmacy to the ward. The syringe transporter is made from plastic and holds the syringe in the correct position and inhibits movement of the plunger.
The Advantages
- Simple and easy to use
- Currently in use at the NHS Trust on a regular basis
- Helps improve patient safety
- Independent opinions on the concept have been gained from
other pharmacists in other NHS hospitals, who felt that such a device would be extremely beneficial.
The Potential Market
The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) produced an Alert (NPSA Alert 20 Injectables) in March 2007 that suggests that injectable medicines should be produced in a clean pharmacy environment (to reduce the risks involved) rather than on the ward or clinical environments. This is likely to increase the number of injectable medicines that are assembled away from the ward in the pharmacy department.
The Opportunities
We are seeking a commercial partner who would be interested in the licensing, marketing and selling of this device.
The Contact
For more information about this or other technologies available for commercialisation through TrusTECH, contact:
Dr Denise Farrall
Technology Manager
TrusTECH
The Innovation Unit 1st Floor,
Postgraduate Centre
Manchester Royal Infirmary
Oxford Road Manchester
M13 9WL
0161 276 5762
denisefarrall@trustech.org.uk