IDC’s Glue Dispenser Advances Medical Adhesives

International product design and development company, IDC (Industrial Design Consultancy) has worked with leading Chinese pharmaceutical and medical company, Baiyun, to develop an innovative new glue dispensing system that will bring dramatic benefits to both medical staff and patients.

The use of glue in medical applications is widely accepted as an alternative solution to suturing after surgical incisions or general cut accidents. In fact medical glues are actually the preference in some types of surgery as they can promote better healing, reduce bleeding and post-surgery complications. Baiyun recognised that there was an opportunity to improve the way that medical adhesives were packaged and dispensed in a clinical environment and commissioned IDC to develop a completely new solution for the dispensing of their adhesives.

IDC’s design team carried out in-depth observational research and interviews to understand how medical staff were using medical adhesives and what their requirements were in a clinical environment. The team identified drawbacks in the way that medical adhesives were supplied, which then lead to numerous difficulties in applying the glue to patients. The first issue was in the way that medical glues are packaged. Because of the properties of the adhesives, and to maintain shelf-life and sterility, glass ampules are traditionally used to supply the glue. Medical staff then need to break these ampoules, extract the glue using a syringe or pipette, and apply the adhesive to the wound. The pipettes and syringes are not well adapted for this use and there is no way of controlling the flow of the adhesive as it is applied. This is a time-consuming and fiddly process, which also risks small fragments of glass breaking off or glue spillages on or near patients. Another problem is the longer the glue is exposed to air, the more likely it is to be cured and become less effective.

Using this insight, IDC’s team developed a highly innovative disposable dispensing device that addressed all the problems and has enabled a great progress leap in the application of glue by medical staff. The team designed a small pen-like dispenser, which comes ready-packed with a standard glass ampoule of adhesive, and by means of a clever pumping system, dispenses the glue with high precision. With the ampoule already contained inside the assembled device, the nurse or surgeon simply needs to twist the two halves of the device to close the device fully, which causes the ampoule to be cleanly broken open to allow the glue to flow. To make certain there are no tiny glass fragments from the broken ampoule, the glue flows through a filter into a unique pumping unit that produces a steady flow, drop-by-drop, with one drop of glue released each time a button is pressed.

IDC’s team focused on developing a device that delivered the best user experience possible. It was designed to be ergonomic with a pen-like shape that meant that doctors could spread the glue evenly and with precision onto the wound surface to be glued. This included a glue-spreading feature on the underside of the device designed to mimic the ‘lolly stick’ shape of the end of a scalpel, which is a common tool that surgeons use to spread the adhesive. IDC was keen to include this detail as a familiar feature in the new device for surgeons.

The device was made from a variety of plastics and included a small window to provide a visual indication to doctors that the ampoule is broken and the glue is ready to flow. With the glue fully enclosed within the device, it is protected from the air and therefore kept in optimum condition for medical use.

IDC’s Technical Director, Mike Pratt, commented, “We are proud to have developed such an innovative device that brings real benefits to medical staff and patients. Our creativity has resulted in a higher level of safety, simplicity and efficiency all round. It has also highlighted Baiyun’s name as a leader in medical adhesives.”