New kind of hypodermic needle wins innovation award

The administering of a vaccine with a traditional needle can sometimes be difficult, even for well-trained paramedics. The problem is that vaccines need to be injected into the muscular tissue, which demands precision and causes pain and stiffness.

Earlier this year, Novosanis, a spin-off of Antwerp University that develops innovative medical devices, launched VAX-ID (pictured). This injection device is easy to use, nearly painless and much more efficient than the classic needle, because it injects the vaccine into the skin.

During the development of the device, Novosanis received support from Antwerp students who are specialising in product development. One of them, Ruben Camerlynck, applied for the international James Dyson Award, a student contest that rewards innovative products and is supported by the James Dyson Foundation, set up by the man who invented the bagless vacuum cleaner.

Camerlynck was successful, and his team was rewarded with the prize for Belgium, worth $3,500 (€2,720). “I’m delighted that we’ve inspired Ruben and his fellow students,” said Koen Beyers, Novosanis’ chief technology officer. “We have worked on this product with combined forces – resulting in a product with a revolutionary design and some smart mechanisms.”

VAX-ID can simplify existing vaccination procedures, and the technique could be used in developing countries where not everyone has access to a trained doctor or paramedic.

Photo courtesy Novosanis