E Med Future Begins Clinical Testing to Extend NeedleZap Product Line

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- E Med Future, Inc., manufacturer of NeedleZap, a medical device that disintegrates used hypodermic needles, announced the beginning of clinical testing and market evaluation of a dental parking station and butterfly needle burner, the first extensions to the NeedleZap product line.

According to Robert J. Ochsendorf, president of Columbus, Ohio-based E Med Future, "The accidental needlestick problem is a potential risk in nearly every medical practice area where hypodermic needles are used. Thus, the applications for a product like NeedleZap are far-reaching. Our goal is to build a product line that can meet the needs of any healthcare professional seeking added protection."

The dental parking station was designed to provide a safer, temporary resting place for a hypodermic syringe. During a procedure, dentists often reuse a hypodermic needle on the same patient when additional anesthesia is required. Since the needle is not destroyed immediately after initial use, dentists often recap the needle or leave the needle exposed. Both of these options pose potential risks.

E Med designed the dental accessory to help eliminate the needlestick hazard. The NeedleZap unit sits directly on the dental parking station so a dentist can recap the needle or disintegrate the hypodermic needle easily with one hand at the end of the procedure. This one-handed technique is a critical safety feature to the product since the majority of accidental needlesticks occur to the opposite hand.

The butterfly needle burner was developed to accommodate needles not secured to a hypodermic syringe. Butterfly needles are used primarily for IV's and kidney dialysis. Since the original NeedleZap unit was intended to disintegrate hypodermic needles held by a syringe, the butterfly needle burner necessitated design modifications, including a change to the housing and repositioning of the patented electrode system.

E Med has applied for patent protection for both products from the United States Patent & Trademark Office. The devices were developed through E Med's internal research and development department. If clearance is provided by the FDA, Ochsendorf expects the products to be introduced into the marketplace during the first quarter of 2004.

Source: E Med Future, Inc.