Farmscape for August 3, 2010   (Episode 3383)

A Manitoba-based mass vaccination injector manufacturer is confident research into the use of needle-free injectors will help potential customers decide whether or not to invest in the technology.

Needle-free injectors use a high speed blast of gas to propel veterinary compounds through the skin, replacing the need for needles.

Researchers with the University of Manitoba in partnership with AcuShot Inc. are using high-speed photography to track the dispersion of liquids injected into different mediums, including ballistic gels and commercial foams, to assess the technology.

AcuShot regional marketing and technical support manager Mike Agar says over the next three to four months researchers will be assessing the consistency of delivery under a range of pressures.

Clip-Mike Agar-AcuShot Inc:
The key benefits to needle-free injection are first and foremost the removal of needles.

Needles have environmental factors for disposal, biohazard risks, those can be eliminated, landfill issues for true proper disposal of sharps would be eliminated, personal injury issues, damage or trimmage to the carcasses or the animals that it's being administered to because typically they're food grade animals and needles or needle fragments could be left in them which is eliminated through needle-free technology plus the removal of cross contamination that could come from the repeated use of needles which is quite common.

Needle-free technology doesn't transfer disease.

Agar says having an independent third party proof the consistency of the equipment will help open doors in the industry and encourage uptake of the technology.

He notes global uptake of needle-free injection technology is currently less than one percent so the market offers tremendous opportunity.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       * Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council