Technologies

Invention Summary
As per OSHA estimates, 5.6 million workers in the health care industry are at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) due to needlestick injuries. About 600,000 to 800,000 needlestick injuries occur annually among healthcare workers and this remains an important concern and represents significant financial burden to healthcare. A large number of these injuries can be prevented by engineering syringe safety mechanisms.The current invention provides a disposable safety syringe system that eliminates the need for hand activation of the safety mechanism thereby reducing the potential for needle stick injuries to the dental care provider during use.Rutgers inventors have designed a safety syringe system for the prevention of sharps injury involving needle devices during dental procedures. The design of the safety system prevents the dentist’s hands from coming in contact with the needle during dental procedures as well as setup and breakdown. Additionally, the design of the safety mechanism allows the dentist to access hard to reach areas of the patient’s mouth.
The safety mechanism can be activated and deactivated with ease unlimited number of times during dental procedures. The current invention also has a locking needle sheath to prevent accidental needle sticks during the assembly and disassembly process.