Transforming Insulin Administration: A Closer Look at the InsuJet Needle-Free Experience (2024)
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Time to read 9 min
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Time to read 9 min
Diabetes is among the most common diseases in the world, especially with all the processed foods and sugary beverages found in so many consumables.
Patients with type 1 Diabetes find it especially exhausting to handle because of how reliant they are on insulin. If they don’t take their daily insulin, they run the risk of developing hypoglycemia along with its dangerous side effects.
The problem with daily insulin administration is the needle injection. Nobody wants to be injected daily, which is why many people are not very keen on taking their insulin.
Fortunately, needle-free injections are transforming insulin administration. Taking the needle out of the formula has made it much easier for people to administer their insulin regularly.
In this post, we’ll examine the InsuJet insulin needle-free insulin delivery experience. We’ll discuss the structure of the new InsuJetTM V5 Injector, the attachments, and a step-by-step guide to using it.
Needle-free injections date back to the 1930s, when a mechanic accidentally injected himself while testing a diesel engine’s jet injector.
More than 20 years later, the concept of a needle-free injection device was brought back to life by Arron Ishmach and Hingson Peace Gun when they invented needle-free guns to aid in vaccinations worldwide.
Throughout the decades, the concept of a needle-free jet injection became more prominent, and the conventional insulin pen started emerging. Later on, the needle-free solution became one of the go-to solutions for people who don’t like needles.
There are multiple types of needle-free insulin injections, but the best type is the jet injector. It works by utilizing compressed air to push a liquid medication at a high speed in the desired direction.
Upon activating the injector, a fine stream of the liquid medication will spring out of the device into the skin.
This achieves a virtually pain-free and needle-free injection, which is ideal for those who fear needle injections.
Among the best jet injectors right now is the InsuJet Injector. This device has been constantly updated to improve the user experience and comfort, with the latest being the InsuJet V5.
Assuming that you purchased the InsuJet Starter Pack, here’s what you’ll find in the package:
Having all the components mentioned, let’s look at the primary component, the InsuJet Injector.
The injector comes fully assembled inside its protective case. It consists of two primary parts: the front and the backside. Both sides are connected in the middle, where a small transparent part (the dosage window) is present.
On top of the front side, the nozzle lock is present. The lock is where you place the nozzle and secure it in place before insulin administration.
On the back side, the safety switch is present. It’s used to prevent accidental firing of the InsuJet injector.
In this section, we’ll discuss in detail all the steps you should take to have the most comfortable insulin administration experience.
Depending on the insulin you use, your vials will either be 3mL or 10mL, both of which have corresponding InsuJet adaptors.
You can install your 10mL adaptor directly on your 10mL insulin vials. All you have to do is remove the protective cap from the vial and insert the needle of the adaptor into the septum.
However, despite being possible, it’s not recommended to do the same with the 3mL vials.
The reason is that these vials are smaller and might break when you apply them to the nozzle later on. Because of that, it’s best to place them in the cartilage holders for safety and convenience.
Have a look at this video to visualize how to install the 3mL adaptor and this video for the 10mL one.
Hold your InsuJet injector, locate the nozzle lock switch, and unlock it (direct it upwards). This is followed by rotating the nozzle lock until the switch is pointing at the unlocked symbol.
Take your nozzle without removing its cap and insert it into the nozzle lock. Make sure to press firmly until it locks in place and you hear a click. Otherwise, you won’t be able to rotate the nozzle back to the locked position.
The Injector isn’t battery-powered. Charing here doesn’t mean charging a battery but rather getting the injector ready to aspirate the insulin from the vial through the adaptor.
This step is as simple as it gets—all you have to do is rotate the InsuJet Injector in the -ve direction until it can no longer rotate.
You know you’re done when a green indicator appears on the plastic window.
Your injector is now ready to aspirate the insulin from your vial. You can start by removing the protective caps from the nozzle and the adaptor.
Insert the adaptor on the nozzle. Keep rotating it until it doesn’t go any further, and tap the cartilage/vial a few times to eliminate air bubbles.
To aspirate the insulin, rotate the front part of the InsuJet injector toward the +ve direction. Each number on the scale indicates a unit.
Depending on your desired dose, you should select a number and add two extra units to compensate for air bubbles. For example, if your dose is five units, you should aspirate seven units.
Once done, remove the cartilage/vial from the nozzle and check for any air bubbles. Tap the nozzle firmly to collect all the air bubbles near the opening, then rotate the equivalent of one unit in the -ve direction.
This is the equivalent of pushing on a syringe after tapping it to eliminate air bubbles.
Take a look at this video for a demonstration.
Your InsuJet injector is now ready to administer the insulin. To do that, start by sliding away the red safety catch and adding the comfort ring around the nozzle. Adding the ring isn’t a must, but it’s often recommended to avoid discomfort.
The firing mechanism occurs when the back part is squeezed against the front part. As such, you have to hold the device from the back part.
Place the InsuJet injector against your skin and apply pressure from the back part.
Keep the injector in place for at least five seconds to ensure the dose has been correctly administered.
Here’s what the whole process looks like.
It’s not a stretch to say that InsuJet is a breakthrough. Convenience isn’t the only advantage you gain from using InsuJet over a conventional needle.
Due to the absence of needles, you no longer have to worry about the pain of the needle or cleaning after a wound.
Even for those who don’t have needle phobia, this is a great leap forward, especially if they have to take insulin multiple times a day.
Across the NHS, over 100,000 needle pricks occur every year, with an unknown amount being unreported, not to mention those are the professionals who know their way around needles, not just injecting insulin casually at home.
The seriousness of bloodborne pathogens can never be underestimated, as there’s an infection risk even when gloves are worn.
You can avoid all of that by eliminating the needle entirely.
Insulin must be injected into the fatty layer of the skin away from the muscles to last long enough to achieve its effect.
Using conventional needles might lead to a deeper injection site by accident, pushing the insulin into the muscles.
While that won’t hurt the muscles, the insulin will be absorbed too quickly and reduce the blood sugar. Not to mention the increased pain associated with muscular injections compared to skin injections.
Using InsuJet, you will consistently inject the insulin exactly where it should be injected: under the skin. This will ensure the most suitable absorption time for every injection.
Delivering the accurate dose during insulin therapy is of utmost importance. The slightest change could mean a considerable fluctuation in blood sugar levels.
Using conventional needles, it’s common to inject slightly more or slightly less insulin than needed—a problem that you no longer need to worry about if you use InsuJet.
Since you have a numbering system, you’ll ensure that you have the ideal dose before the device even touches your skin.
Because needles are out of the formula, you no longer have to consistently dispose of them. Needles require some regulations to get rid of, as they’re a lot more dangerous than average trash.
By using InsuJet, you’re not only making it easier for yourself but for the environment as well.
There are four sites where you can safely inject insulin into your body. Those are the upper outer arms, the buttocks, the abdomen, and the upper outer thighs.
All of those sites have enough skin thickness to ensure both painless and subdermal injections away from the muscles.
You can use the InsuJet Injector up to 5,000 times with proper cleaning and maintenance. Let’s assume that you’ll use the injector three times a day.
That means you can use it for 1666 days or four to five years.
Yes, you can. The InsuJet is clinically tested on overweight or obese patients, and they were still able to control their blood sugar levels and reduce hypoglycemia.
It’s important to know that there’s a wide range of what can be considered a high BMI. Accordingly, consulting your doctor before switching to InsuJet is recommended.
The new InsuJetTM needle-free experience can make insulin therapy a breeze for diabetic patients. All you have to do is push the injector against your skin, and your dose of insulin will be administered pain-free.
The device is compatible with most insulin types, and it supports the most commonly used 3mL and 10mL vials.
Make sure to visit our storefront to check the customizable options we have, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us should you have any questions.
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