Regional anaesthesia involves the injection of local anaesthesia near a cluster of nerves to numb the area of your body that requires surgery. Over 6 million regional anaesthetic blocks are performed each year throughout the EU and US.
Safer Injection System for Regional Anaesthesia (SAFIRA) provides a simpler, quicker and cheaper method to inject regional anaesthetic agents and reduces the risks associated with the standard procedure.
Current regional anaesthesia practice requires two operators: an anaesthetist who holds an ultrasound scanner and uses this to guide the needle tip placement and a second operator to inject the anaesthetic solution. The second operator manually ensures the correct pressure is used. Studies have shown that this operator finds it difficult to judge the pressure correctly and less than 4% of anaesthetists are confident their assistants are applying the correct pressure. In addition, high pressure above 15 psi has been shown to cause serious nerve damage.
The SAFIRA system eliminates the need for a second operator and allows the anaesthetist to control the entire delivery of anaesthetic with user-friendly actuator controls for use with the needle or ultrasound probe.
In 2018, Medovate secured the exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and sell this ground-breaking innovation in the field of anaesthesia.
Medovate launched SAFIRA on the US market in early 2020 with sales in the UK due to commence early 2021. For further information on the product and details of distributors in the US and other countries please visit the Medovate website.
Inventors
Dr Peter Young, Dr Emad Fawzy, Dr Joseph Carter and Dr John Gibson
NHS Organisation
Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust
Award Amount
£80,000