Smiths Medical Receives Clearance For New Safety Needle

St. Paul, MN - Smiths Medical, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, recently announced that it has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new safety needle designed to protect clinicians from needlestick injuries and minimize 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 a low profile infusion site and a 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, low profile infusion site with a blunt cannula, which can be used to administer medication or withdraw fluid. The inserter's unique safety arm provides an audible ‘click' when it is lifted, giving clinicians 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 is designed to provide increased comfort for patients undergoing long-term infusion protocols such as chemotherapy.

Jim Stitt, President of Smiths Medical MD, said: "We are very pleased that we will soon be able to offer the GRIPPER® Micro Safety Needle, which will help healthcare workers to minimize discomfort for patients and stay safe themselves."

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

SOURCE: Smiths Medical