nir-vana innovation network

A Serbian company has developed an innovative safety needle, the basic idea of which was initiated by spreading by sticky injures of blood transmissible diseases such as HIV, HBV, HCV, Ebola and others.
During the CoVID-19 pandemic, the use of the hypodermic needle has been increased. The use of this safety needle:
• prevents the transmission of incurable diseases from the patient to the medical staff.
• facilitates the medical staff the use of the hypodermic needle in full protection.
The company has experience in the development, marketing, commercial and communication fields.
• The inventor and team leader has a vast experience in IT hardware development, including technology applications and developments (use of composite materials). His innovations have been transformed into 20 international patents and 7 personal patents, which he owns. It is this acquired experience as well as his knowledge in ergonomics and value analyses that have led to production of innovative safety needle.
• The marketing manager has a more than 25 years of experience by working with famous manufacturers of medical operating supplies (hypodermic needle), cosmetics and para pharmacy.
• The commercial manager is the owner of the company that is representing more than 20 years a famous Japanese company on the Serbian, Bosnian and Montenegrin markets.
• The assistant to the manager has more than 10 years of experience in communication and as an interpreter. Fluent in French, Serbian, English & Greek (use of other European languages).
The proof in the global need for a safety needle lays in the fact, that all manufacturers have taken the problem of workplace injury very seriously and have developed a safety needle. Existing safety needles currently on the market do not ensure total protection during the three operative phases and along with the complexity of their production (number of individual parts, used materials, size, etc.), come at a high production cost which leads to a high sale price.
The unit weight in (gr) of the innovative product is identical to the unit weight of a standard hypodermic needle. The manufacturing costs are also identical. The unit price of this product is at least 5 times less when compared to the cheapest safety needle existing on the market.
The innovative product can be the cheapest on the safety needle market.
Taking into account all this information the company considers that partnerships of a joint venture type and/or license agreement would be the most appealing. In both cases, its partner would be an industrialist.
Under conditions of a license agreement, the partner should be present on the market of medical equipment and/or consumable equipment under hospital and clinical conditions. The company’s role in this case would be one of technical support in the realization of a production tool, which would depend on the market type as well as the production start up. The company would insure the technical support during the period of attaining any necessary certification. Its team will define and present the needs of domestic market on which the company could be present, as well as the defined quantities following the presentation of the product in the foreign markets.
In the case of a joint venture, partner would be an industrialist. They would guarantee the necessary tools required for the production of the innovative needle, along with initiating industrial production and placement of the needle within the market place. They would accompany it in the process of being introduced to leaders in the with the intention of creating a contract with one of them. The company would insure technical support during the period of attaining the necessary production tools as well as support during the period of initiating production and finally developing its presence in the EU, North America and BRICS states.

Advantages & innovations

The novelty of this safety needle is in its shape. The unique shape, produced by injection of a polymer into a pre-defined mould, allows the material’s memory to retain its shape and provides the three stable positions, all through a single piece of plastic. The advantages compared to the existing solutions (in the hypodermic needle range) are: • Its ergonomics allow for single-hand use which is key factor in avoiding needlestick injury (workplace injury). • It is the only needle of its kind that provides protection during the three operative phases (pre, per and post operative), which is not the case with the current standard needle, nor the competitors’ safety needles. • it has been created using a production tool that produces two needles at once, therefore easing the production process. • It has been tested at the Pasteur Institute in Paris (clinical and technical tests). • the company has received the appreciation and recommendation of the Medical Military Academy of Serbia in Belgrade and of the clinic of artificial insemination in Belgrade. • it is patented and protected with five patents. • All the versions of the safety needles insure a complete “passive protection” when compared the standard needle, which does not provide any passive protection of its tip. • It ensures the definite lock of the needle tip upon finishing use, there providing full protection as medical waste. • It prevents any contact with the cannula along its active bar (very important during use in critical conditions such as in the clinic caring for AIDS patients). • The gram unit weight of the product is identical to the unit weight of a standard hypodermic needle. • The production cost is identical to the production cost of a standard hypodermic needle. • It is composed of two individual parts (needle and safety apparatus) while a standard hypodermic needle is composed three individual parts. • It can be adapted to a standard hypodermic needle.

Stage of development

Prototype available for demonstration

Partner sought

Type: Industry Activity: In a license agreement, the partner is present on the equipment market and/or consumable material aimed for hospital and clinical fields. In a joint venture, the partner is present on the equipment market in the hospital and clinical fields (manufacturers or sub-contractors in the manufacturing of standard or safety needles). Role: In a license agreement, the partner who wants to complete his needle range and/or update his existing standard needle stocks. In a joint venture, the partner would guarantee the necessary tools required for the production of the innovative needle, along with initiating industrial production and placement of the needle within the market place. They would accompany it in the process of being introduced to leaders in the with the intention of creating a contract with one of them. It is essential that they have the means of production equipment as well as certifications in the manufacturing of needles, or to be in the production field of plastics used in the aviation or automobile industry (be in possession of production equipment, transformation techniques, certifications as well as have the ability to manufacture under permanent quality control conditions), IT, use of high characteristic technical polymers, and production in controlled atmosphere conditions.