Plastic Syringes & Pens

In the seventies I started to use the latest plastic Beckton Dickinson disposable syringes some of them came complete with finer gauge needles attached. I preferred to use the much finer 32G, 4mm to 6mm length needles. With a shorter needle there was less likelihood of you injecting into a muscle which could lead to a hypo. The syringes were much lighter & easier to use. But although they stated 'single use' on the packet many people, including me often used the syringes & the needles a lot more than once. I suppose old habits of reuse die hard.

But then in 1978 Dr Sheila Reith, came up with the idea of an insulin pen for her daughter. She spoke to her colleague Dr John Ireland of the Southern General hospital in Glasgow & the journey to invent the pens started. Which resulted in the 'Penject' insulin pen. This was refined by Novo who launched the 'Novopen' in 1985 & started to promote the basal bolus regimen.

NovoPen Echo with Fiasp Cartridge

I started using a 'Novopen' insulin pen & it made my life living with diabetes so much simpler. Making the measuring & delivering of insulin less complicated. Plus they can be carried around in a bag or pocket more conveniently than using a conventional syringe, needle & vial of insulin.

Instead of drawing up doses with a syringe, the pen device contains a cartridge of U100 insulin, the dose as small as 0.5 unit can be dialled up as required & injected at the push of a button.

This also enabled (MDI) multi daily injections to become much easier using the basal bolus regimen. Which meant injecting a fast-acting bolus insulin dose just before meals. Plus, an once a day, a long-acting background or basal insulin dose.

The pen cartridge contains enough insulin to last for many days. The needles used are of are a screw on type & are fine & short.

The pens I have today record the dose on a tiny screen on the end of the dial button. Which reminds you of the amount of insulin you last delivered. However, the very latest insulin pens now available have Bluetooth built in so times & doses can be recorded in an app on your phone.