Industry Partner: MMJ Labs, LLC

Principal Investigators:

Amy Baxter, MD

The Need:

22% or 68 million Americans fear needle procedures.  It has been found that this fear begins between age 4 and 5 from the pain, anxiety, and lack of control associated with immunizations. The standard of care for vaccinations is to use nothing. This leaves the children and adolescents in the target age of our proposal still afraid of shots. Patients between 11 and 14 are eligible for the 3-shot HPV vaccine to prevent cancers.  Unfortunately, 70% of those eligible do not start or complete immunization. Needle phobia contributes to decreased compliance with optional vaccination for teens and adults.
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The Device:

Buzzy, a cold pack placed under constant vibration, has been proven to decrease the pain of IV access when placed proximal during the procedure. It is currently available for purchase in 8 countries and is an FDA registered Class I device. While the original Buzzy has been successful in hospitals for IV access, a smaller Buzzy designed to fit easily in the palm for personal use by children and teenagers is supported by this grant. 

 

How has APDC helped?

This project is currently funded by APDC.The consortium has facilitated contact with Publix to advance the device towards marketing. When Buzzy joined the consortium the device was in the preclinical stage of development.

 

Progress of Device Development