Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech

ABC Syringe Wins the World Design Impact Prize 2014

March 6, 2014 By The University of Huddersfield

Dr. David Swann's winning design 'ABC Syringe'For designing a device that has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives, University of Huddersfield lecturer Dr. David Swann has been awarded a globally prestigious prize, which he received at a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa. 

Dr. Swann’s ABC Syringe – which changes color in order to deter harmful reuse – is the winner of the 2014 World Design Impact Prize, which is awarded every two years by International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). 

In January it was announced that the ABC Syringe had been selected for the final shortlist of three candidates for the prize.

The other projects were a temporary shelter for refugees, developed in tandem with the giant IKEA Foundation, plus a special low-emission stove that provides a safer cooking environment for women in the developing world. 

But a panel of international judges concluded that Dr. Swann’s ABC syringe could make the greatest impact and he was announced as the winner at the World Design Capital International Design Gala in Cape Town. 

Dr. Swann was invited to attend and he received a trophy from ICSID President Dr. Brandon Gien. 

A Behavior Changing Syringe
The ABC Syringe (A Behavior Changing Syringe) is the full name given to Dr. Swann’s invention, designed to tackle a massive global healthcare problem. It is estimated by the World Health Organization that up to 40% of the 40 billion injections administered each year are delivered with syringes reused without sterilization. This is responsible for large proportions of new cases of HIV and hepatitis, responsible for some three million deaths every year. 

Dr. Swann’s solution is a plastic syringe that is colorless while it remains in its nitrogen-filled pack. But exposure to air activates an ink applied to the label on the barrel. There is a brief treatment window – lasting about a minute – before the ink, having absorbed CO², turns the label to red. This alerts patients to the fact that the syringe has been used once and is therefore no longer sterile. 

Backing by the World Health Organization
Hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved if the practice of reusing syringes could be drastically curtailed and the World Health Organization has made safer injection practice one of its key priorities.

Influential support for the ABC Syringe came from Peter Evans, who was leader of a World Health Organization’s project on syringes. He wrote: “Teaching about the perils of reuse of syringes is a fundamental part of medical training and yet, throughout the developing world, reuse continues to be a generally accepted practice. Part of this is because there is no immediate feedback that something is wrong. The ABC Syringe – an indicator showing prior exposure to air and therefore non-sterile – is to my knowledge unique.” 

The announcement that Dr. Swann had won the World Design Impact Prize was greeted as “fantastic news” by the University of Huddersfield’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan, who added: “Research at our University is making a worldwide impact in many fields, and David’s designs in the field of health care are prime examples of this. He brings great credit to the University of Huddersfield.” 

It has also been announced that the London-based Design Museum has placed the ABC Syringe in the shortlist for the Products category in its 2014 Designs of the Year contest. It will be showcased at an exhibition of the nominees which opens at the museum on 26 March and runs till 25 August. The winning designs in each category – chosen by expert judges – will be announced later in the year.

Related Articles Read More >

Dexcom One
How Dexcom’s portfolio goes beyond highly-anticipated next-gen G7
A portrait of Stryker executive Siddarth Satish
How Stryker includes users for product design in the digital age
A Medtronic HVAD pump opened up to show the inner workings
Medtronic investigates HVAD pump welds after patient deaths
Galien Foundation 2022 nominees
18 of the world’s most innovative medical technologies

DeviceTalks Weekly.

May 20, 2022
DeviceTalks Boston Post-Game – Editors’ Top Moments, Insulet’s Eric Benjamin on future of Omnipod 5
See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

Enewsletter Subscriptions

Enewsletter Subscriptions

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech 100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to E-newsletter
  • Attend our Monthly Webinars
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech