medical | Innovation
Spang & Brands uses 2K moulding of TPE and PC to make this tamper evident connector
Last month, injection systems manufacturer US-headquartered West Pharma announced an agreement with Janssen Biotech, part of Johnson&Johnson, to manufacture a new self injection device for pharmaceutical and biologic drug delivery. The SelfDose technology, developed by Janssen, is claimed to make manual injection simpler and safer,
combining both a drug container and a single-use delivery vehicle.
The injection moulded device takes a standard 1ml
pre-fi lled syringe and can be supplied with a range of needle types. It is manually operated and incorporates an integrated needle guard to avoid accidental injury. It also provides a visual indication of drug administration. The SelfDose unit fi lls a gap in the West range between its programmable electronic SmartDose and spring- activated Confi Dose devices.
Value Plastics’ new Luer
alternative is designed to
prevent user error during connection
Targeting needlesticks Also new in the delivery sector is the Unifi ne Pentips Plus needle management system from UK-based Owen Mumford, a major supplier of drug delivery systems for diabetes treatment. As many diabetes sufferers are elderly they often fi nd it diffi cult to change the needles on their devices, the most likely time to suffer a needlestick injury. Pentips Plus is an injection moulded needle dual-chamber packaging system that makes removal and storage of the old needle and fi tting of the new one a simple and safe task. It provides a clear “click” indication that the used needle has been safely stored before the new needle is fi tted – a one-handed process. The company says the device, which comprises a steel needle in an HDPE hub packaged in a PP primary container, is compatible with all major injection pen brands, including products Novo Nordisk, Sanofi and Lilly, and all common needle lengths. Plastics are also gaining ground in the implant
sector. US companies Nexxt Spine and Eisertech have both received US FDA 510(k) clearance for their cervical and lumbar spacer implants, which are produced in Zeniva PEEK resin from Solvay Specialty Polymers. At present, both companies are machining the spacers from stock rod. The Nexxt Spine Honour spacers are hollow,
allowing the bone to grow through them, and are available in three variants for use in unilateral and bilateral lumbar spine implant applications.
14 INJECTION WORLD | October 2012
www.injectionworld.com “We chose Zeniva PEEK for its similarity to
the modulus of elasticity of bone, radiographic properties, and the
widespread commercial and regulatory acceptance of the material,” says Eric Lintula, director of engineering at Nexxt Spine. The repeat- ability of the resin is also cited as a benefi t, allowing surgeons to have a higher level of confi dence in the results they can achieve.
Eisertech selected PEEK for similar reasons. It says its new implants allow it to reduce the cost of spinal implants over traditional titanium technology thorugh a combination of simplifi ed installation – no special training is required to work with the products – and easy online part ordering.
Polymers are also replacing metal in single-use
surgical instruments, with US-based Biorep Technolo- gies introducing a range of specialist products for minimally invasive cardiac surgery. The company is using a 50% glass reinforced Ixef PARA resin from Solvay Specialty Polymers in place of stainless steel for its Joseph Lamelas Knot Pusher and Atrial Lift System Visor support bracket and S-blade instruments. The company says it selected the Ixef PARA polymer
because its tensile and fl exural properties at ambient temperature are similar to the cast metals that these parts are usually manufactured in. Suitability for gamma radiation and the ability to
produce an as-moulded black fi nish that minimises refl ection were also key attributes, as was the ability to fi ll the 0.5mm thick wall sections in the small parts. The knot pusher tip measures 5mm by 12.7mm, the Visor support 3.56mm by 11.43mm and the S-Blade
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