Medovate – a medical device development company – has announced that the SAFIRA (SAFer Injection for Regional Anaesthesia) Palm Operator has officially been launched in the Singapore market having secured approval from the Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

The addition of a hand operator option to the SAFIRA system product range in Singapore will offer anaesthesiologists who practice regional anaesthesia greater choice and versatility when using the innovative technology.  

The SAFIRA system was originally launched in Singapore in 2022 with a foot pedal operator, which remains a key part of the product range. The Palm Operator controller uses the same colour coding as the original foot pedal and is ergonomically designed to comfortably fit under a surgical glove, within the palm of a hand. Both operator options give anaesthesiologists full control of aspiration and infusion during the injection process.

Appointed SAFIRA distributor, Bluestone Corporation Pte, will now include the handheld operator as part of their expanded SAFIRA system product offering in Singapore.

Alan Finnerty, technology director at Medovate, said: “Having successfully secured HSA regulatory approval for our initial SAFIRA system range in Singapore in 2022 we are delighted to now be able to extend our product offering with the addition of the SAFIRA Palm Operator. This will provide anaesthesiologists more versatility and choice when using our system. We are now able to support healthcare providers with a complete solution to their regional anaesthesia needs with both hand and foot operators via our distributor partner, Bluestone Corporation. We are thrilled to celebrate this next step in the global roll out of the SAFIRA system.”

David Loh, director at Bluestone Corporation Pte, added: “We are proud to be supporting the roll out of this exciting technology to Singapore and we are elated to now be able to also offer anaesthesiologists we are working with another option to suit their preferences in how they use this unique new system to make regional anaesthesia injection safer for their patients. Having successfully secured a second HSA approval for the SAFIRA product range is testament to the quality and efficacy of the technology developed by our partner Medovate Ltd.”

Developed with clinicians working in the NHS to promote safer injection during peripheral nerve block procedures, the SAFIRA system makes regional anaesthesia into a one-person procedure, giving the anaesthesiologist full control of the injection and freeing up assistants for other essential tasks. It also includes a built-in safety mechanism to limit injection pressure and automatically stop injection at a calibrated pressure threshold helping to reduce the risk of nerve damage and promote patient safety.