Improper handling, careless disposal, or unsafe design of contaminated sharp devices can all result in contraction of bloodborne diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C by medical personnel. Enacted in 2000 to reduce such accidents, the Needlestick Safety and Prevention .Act demanded that healthcare facilities use medical devices that feature controls such as needleless systems or self-sheathing needles to reduce risk in the workplace.

Safety concerns, along with compliance with this American legislation, were the motivators behind a new product from UK-based company Response Medical Equipment. The company has introduced what it claims to be the first manually retractable safety needle.

“During some research for [the UK] Purchasing and Supply Agency, we realized that a simple-to-use retractable needle that would fit existing syringes—be they luer lock or slip luer—simply did not exist,” says Mark Thompson, business development director, Response Medical.

Launched at Medica 2007, the Surety needle is designed so that a user’s fingers never go forward of the needle. Requiring one-hand operation, the product emits an audible click when retracted to indicate that it has been safely deactivated, and cannot be reused. In addition, the needle has automatic alignment of needle bevel during venipuncture.

Compatible with common syringes, the needle does not require OEMs to redesign their current syringes; instead, the Surety needle simply bolts on to the existing product, according to Thompson. He adds that this bolt-on design enables significant savings for OEMs.

The Surety needle is suitable for intramuscular, intravenous, and subcutaneous injections, as well as for blood draw. “General practice doctors [can also] use [it] when visiting patients away from the safe haven of the surgery room,” Thompson says. “Most general practice doctors do not carry Sharps boxes with them; Surety provides a very safe alternative for them.”

Response Medical Equipment, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, UK