New Invention Helps Prevent Needlestick Injuries

A protection device developed by faculty and alumni from The University of Texas-Houston Dental Branch will soon hit the market, giving healthcare workers a new option in the effort to prevent injuries from needles and other sharp medical instruments.

PercuguardTM, a flexible plastic sleeve that slips over the finger, is the invention of M. Kevin Sorrels, D.D.S., a 1980 Dental Branch graduate, who found that necessity really is the mother of invention. "I stuck myself while giving an oral injection, and figured there had to be a way to prevent accidents like this," he says. "I made my first prototype that day, and have been improving on it for the last 10 years."

Percuguard protects the finger without sacrificing flexibility or feel, and is eight to 20 times more puncture resistant than a latex glove. It comes in four different sizes and is designed for one-time use. Dr. Sorrels founded Digit-Pro, Inc., to help launch his invention, which received marketing approval from the Food and Drug Administration in February.

To develop Percuguard, Dr. Sorrels enlisted the help of Dr. John M. Powers, director of the Houston Biomaterials Research Center at the Dental Branch. As a result of the testing process, Dr. Powers has actually created a new standard for puncture resistance. The current standard devised by the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) is based on a nail - not the 27-gauge needle generally used in medicine and dentistry.

Among the 8 million healthcare workers in the United States, up to 800,000 needlestick accidents are reported every year. A needle stick can mean the transmission of potentially deadly bloodborne pathogens like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that healthcare employers adopt strategic methods to protect their workers from puncture injuries, and to test various products for efficiency.

Percuguard is personal protective equipment - a new class of products designed to prevent percutaneous injuries. Most current devices involve the syringe itself, with needles that automatically retract after use. However, since Percuguard protects the exposed finger, it can be used either alone or in conjunction with a mechanically engineered syringe for maximum protection.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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