Smiths Medical receives clearance for new safety needle to protect medics and minimise patient disco

SMITHS Medical, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announces that it has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new safety needle designed to protect medics from needlestick injuries and minimise discomfort for patients.

Smiths Medical’s GRIPPER® Micro Safety Needle is similar in design to the popular GRIPPER PLUS® Safety Needle introduced in 2002 but includes advancements such as an infusion site that is the smallest on the market.  Additionally, it is the only one to include a non-sharp blunt cannula. 

The GRIPPER® Micro safety needle is used to deliver medications intravenously through a patient’s implanted port.  The two-piece needle system includes an inserter and an infusion site.  After the GRIPPER® Micro needle is inserted into a patient’s implanted port, the inserter is removed, leaving behind a small infusion site that is minimally protrusive, with a blunt cannula that can be used to administer medication or withdraw fluid.  The inserter’s unique safety arm provides an audible ‘click’ when it is lifted, giving medics further assurance that the needle is locked in a safe position for disposal, protecting those who come into contact with it. 

The infusion site’s small size and foam pad provide increased comfort for patients undergoing long-term infusion protocols such as chemotherapy.

Srini Seshadri, Group Managing Director of Smiths Medical, said: “We are very pleased that we will soon be able to offer the GRIPPER®  Micro Safety Needle, which will help healthcare workers to minimise discomfort for patients and stay safe themselves.”

The GRIPPER® Micro Safety Needle is expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2008.

ENDS