Cool technology for pharmacy – ProteXsure Safety Capsule System

Needle sticks happen. I’ve actually stuck myself a few times during my career while compounding in the IV room. Fortunately for me, it never involved anything hazardous. Still, it was a pain. No pun intended.

Over the years a lot of attention has been given to methods for preventing needle sticks in healthcare, ranging from things like procedures, i.e. “no-recapping” to physical barriers like safety syringes. The ProteXsure Safety Capsule System falls into the latter category.

medGadget: “[The ProteXsure Safety Capsule System] prevents needle stick injuries by offering an easy way to snap on a protective cap to the tip of a needle. Once a syringe is finished with, the needle is simply pushed into a slot on the side of the ProteXsure. This can be done with one hand. A cap immediately grabs onto the needle, readying the syringe for safe disposal.”

The ProteXsure Safety Capsule System gets high marks for ease of use and design. It appears to be a simple, yet elegant solution to the problem of blunting the end of a needle to prevent accidental sticks. Check the video below to see how simple the product is to use.

From the ProteXsure site:

• First device to safely address recapping the Front & Back end of all dental syringes
• Fits all size needles and gauges in most medical and healthcare settings
• Meets all OSHA guidelines of mandated “One Hand Recapping”
• Accepts both “Bent & Straight” needles
• Quick and easy to use
• Non skid gel pads adhere to any surface without leaving marks or residue
• 100 safety capsules inside every system
• Fully automatic (Insert needle and remove)
• Once completely dispensed, simply dispose in a normal waste bin & replace
• Additional downstream needle protection should original needle cap come off (capsule covers needle tip in addition to the syringe cap)

No information on cost and availability in the U.S.