Prevention of Needlestick Injury
during drug delivery
The project was done for the selections of IMLEAP 2018 by Siemens Healthineers and Innovation Think Tank. (Personal project)
Duration: 10 days, May 2018.
Brief: To present an innovative concept solving any current issue in the healthcare system.
The Problem
Needlestick injury is the penetration of the skin by a needle or other sharp object, which has been in contact with blood, tissue or other body fluids before the exposure. Needlestick injuries remain a recognized risk in healthcare settings and transmission of blood-borne infections is the main concern with these injuries.
Among healthcare workers and laboratory personnel worldwide, more than 25 blood-borne viruses have been reported to be caused by needlestick injuries. Healthcare workers chance of contracting -
HIV 1:250
HBV 1:20
HCV 3.5:100
Cleansing Procedures
Lancerted Skin
Recapping Needle
Disposing Needle
Removing Sharps
Passing Sharps
Surgical Suture
Incision Operation
Medical Administration
Blood Sample
Inserting CPV
According to the CDC, some 385,000 health care workers accidentally stick themselves with needles every year.
In 2007, the World Health Organization estimated annual global needlestick injuries at 2 million per year.
OSHA estimates 5.6 million workers in the healthcare industry are at risk of occupational exposure to blood-borne diseases via percutaneous injury.
Drug Delivery Process
Drug delivery process has a high ratio of needle stick injury, takes places in various departments and has multiple stakeholders from dierent knowledge base and hence has been chosen as the problem area.
Observation | Immersion | Expert Interview
Process Mapping
Major Insights
POSSIBLE CAUSES
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Recoil during opening needle cap and force required to recap may lead to injury
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If not recapped with precision may cause needlestick injury
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To remove the needle, pulling being the primary action may result in injury
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Crowded area, distraction or push
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While passing
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While puncturing it might injure the other hand
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After injection careless handling
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Thrown into the bin without recapping
RELEVANT OBSERVATIONS
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Most people keep the needle aside without recapping
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Caps get misplaced as they are transparent and small
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Recapping increases difficulty in differentiating used and unused syringes
DESIGN CHALLENGE: To re-design a part or whole of the syringe to reduce the chances of needlestick injury during the drug delivery process
Ideation
Features
Texture on the syringe
body that causes
discomfort to discourage
its use as support
Flexible rubber joint connecting cap
and second support for
removing cap and recapping
Attached cap eliminates
the chances of
misplacing
For drug delivery when the user places fingers on support, the actions during process make recapping becomes a necessary step
Redesigned cap needs
no precision for recapping
Seal on the cap to alert
users of used needles
Prototyping
The process of using the new syringe has been altered
to such an extent that it has a smooth learnability curve
for the current users without any special training.
The redesign of the cap and the recapping system has been done such that no new steps that break the mental model of the users are added to the process
NOVELITY ?
FEASIBILITY ?
Minimum mechanical processes or technical
interventions have been done keeping in mind
the low cost of the syringes to not make them a luxury.
Team : Aditya Mathur, Anubhuti Gupta, Apoorv Mehta