Instead of glass, Syreen syringes are made from cyclic olefin polymer (COP) plastic, which means there is no need for secondary packaging. The company claims it is a first in this area of medical devices.
The makeup of the Syreen allows syringes to clip together, nesting in a pack, while the COP design doubles as the outer shell of the packaging itself. There is no need, therefore, for fillers such as cardboard and styrofoam, reducing the packaging weight by 30% and volume by 50% compared with standard packaging.
"This marriage of economy and ecology shows that medical device companies will likely see competitive benefits by taking sustainability seriously," said Phil Lever, commercial director, Drug Delivery Devices for pharma technology firm Cambridge Consultants, which has offices in Cambridge in the UK and US.
To use Syreen, the prefilled syringe is simply unclipped and put against the desired area on the skin. After delivery, with a simple snap, the user ejects the needle into the sharps bin, allowing the user to recycle the plastic capsule.
Patient safety is further increased because the COP plastic syringe features a curved surface over the needle that, while keeping the syringe from rolling and reducing needle-stick accidents, also ensures overall stability and depth control during injection. With separated plunger and stopper, the design also makes it impossible to take in blood or other contaminants, reducing the risk of cross infection.
Cambridge Consultants is currently seeking to develop the Syreen concept with large pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical packaging companies.
