Intramuscular Injection Device: Reducing Fear, Increasing Safety

Abstract

There is a need for protection for anesthesiologists, nurses, and patients duringpreoperative intramuscular injections, especially when the patients becomecombative. Currently, clinicians enter and leave the patient's room with theneedle completely exposed, putting both the patient and clinician at risk. Inpartnership with the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital underthe direction of Dr. Klossel and Dr. Horvath, research was done by a team ofBiomedical Engineering Students to create an Intramuscular Injection Device.This device was created through a series of Voice-of-Customer interviews andan iterative design process with several prototypes. A digital ABS spring-baseddevice was created that fully covers a needle throughout the entire injectionprocess. The device consists of a main housing unit where the syringe is insertedand a slider that functions by placing pressure on a surface such as an arm orleg. A locking mechanism was created and tested to ensure that prior to andafter injection, the needle is protected. Once the device was fabricated, aSystem Usability Survey (SUS) was performed on a group of 13 clinicians. Theresults of the usability testing provided evidence that the device was easy to usewith an average of 4.8/5 and that it increased the safety of the injection processwith an average of 4.7/5. Additionally, feedback was received that this deviceallowed the clinicians to follow a similar workflow to what they typically use andgave them the ability to aspirate the needle if needed during the injection.