Owen Mumford, a global leader in the design, manufacture and advancement of medical technology, today announced it has introduced a 16-gauge (16G) safety lancet for high-volume capillary blood sampling into its leading Unistik product range. The new Unistik® Touch 16G has one-touch activation and Comfort Zone Technology® that minimises the pain of finger sampling.1 The new safety lancet has been designed for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and test kit manufacturers. For HCPs who need to perform higher volume blood sampling on patients for a wide range of tests including blood gas, electrolytes, blood coagulation, total bilirubin and cardiac markers, it can be used in a variety of clinical settings and offers the benefit of fewer punctures for higher blood volumes.

It is also ideally suited for at-home and point of care testing (POCT) kits, making it a convenient choice for test kit inclusion by kit manufacturers who require reduced packaging, bulk order quantities and can benefit from its small form and simple user features. The Unistik Touch 16G one-touch activation feature requires the user to simply press the device against the sample site. Activated automatically, the needle then retracts into the body of the device, minimising the risk of re-use, pre-analytical errors for multiplex tests, cross infection and needlestick injuries. “The Unistik Touch range was developed in-house to make sampling more comfortable for patients and easier for HCPs to successfully obtain the right amount of blood first-time,” said Jesper Jonsson, Director of Medical Devices at Owen Mumford. “Our proven pain-minimising technology and simple one-touch activation makes it a very attractive option and the 16G lancet has been developed and priced competitively to ensure the same benefits in patient comfort can be offered within the growing at-home testing and POCT markets. This new solution for high volume blood sampling perfectly complements our portfolio so we can offer the market an even wider choice of safety lancet.”

The Unistik Touch 16G is available in a range of packaging configurations including 100ct, 200ct and bulk volumes. Further educational material has been created in collaboration with HCPs and key opinion leaders to support everyone in achieving reliable test results. 

Owen Mumford Ltd has launched a new venous blood collection portfolio under its popular Unistik® brand. The new portfolio builds upon the company’s expertise and heritage in capillary blood sampling to offer a range of venous devices that provide safety, comfort and quality for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients.

The new Unistik® blood collection range launches with three devices available. Unistik® ShieldLock features a user-centric design that provides protection once the needle is removed from the vein, allowing HCPs to safely draw large volumes of blood with ease and minimal discomfort to the patient. The device has flexible, textured wings to ensure a secure grip throughout the blood collection procedure, and a thumb-activated safety shield that covers and protects the needle following withdrawal from the vein – helping to avoid the risk of needlestick injury (NSI).

 Unistik® ShieldLock Ultra provides advanced protection, combining a one-handed and in-vein activated safety mechanism to minimise the risk of NSIs. The device also features an additional unique safety mechanism that, once activated, clamps the tube between the needle and Luer to prevent any exposure to blood after removal of the needle from the vein.

 Unistik® VacuFlip is designed for safe, straightforward venous blood collection procedures. The device features an ergonomic safety guard that is flipped over the needle once withdrawn from the arm to secure it and reduce the risk of NSI. The safety guard has a textured surface to improve grip during manual activation and ensure the fingers are a safe distance from the needle during collection.

 Needlestick injury can result from mishandling or failure to activate the safety shield on some blood collection devices prior to disposal. Although this can be mitigated through training and communication, the economic cost for the healthcare industry relating to injury claims and treatment can be substantial, compounded by the potential physical and psychological damage to HCPs.

 In addition, both non-communicable diseases and disease identification are on the rise, and globally each year over one billion patients have blood collected by venous devices[1]. After much research to understand the current venous blood collection market and identify concerns with existing designs, Owen Mumford now provides a range of devices that deliver ease-of-use, comfort for patients, and crucially, technology that minimises the risk of NSI.

 “The new venous blood collection range is a first for Owen Mumford, expanding upon our existing capillary blood sampling range to offer modern safety solutions for HCPs and patients. The devices have been created to resolve pain points with existing products, utilising modern technology design to improve comfort and reduce risk of NSI and blood sample exposure post-collection,” said Jesper Jonsson, Director, Medical Devices at Owen Mumford. “Disease identification is on the rise, and safe, efficient blood collection is so important to effective diagnosis and treatment. According to a recent study from the Royal College of Nursing, needle stick injuries have risen by 50 percent since 2008. Despite regulations requiring 100 percent of staff have access to safer sharps, only 45 percent stated theirs was excellent, and 15 percent of staff stated “nil to poor” access[2]. Building on decades of experience within blood sampling and its strong focus on patient and HCP safety, Owen Mumford is bringing to market a range combining advanced safety with accessibility that we believe will transform the sector.”

 Owen Mumford’s safety blood collection devices can potentially help prevent NSIs and reduce the risk of failed blood collection. Each product is compatible with other common blood collection devices, enabling HCPs to switch over with minimal disruption to their existing processes. 


[1]International prevalence of the use of peripheral intravenous catheters. Alexandrou E et al, (2015) J. Hosp. Med 10, pp. 530–533.
[2] Blood and Body Fluid Exposures in 2020. Results from a survey of RCN members (2020) Royal College of Nursing, 20 Cavendish Square, London, W1G 0RN; RCN publication code: 009 687. www.rcn.org.uk/publications, pp. 24.

Manufactured in the UK, Unifine® SafeControl®is an innovative active safety pen needle for HCPs who use injection pens to administer medication, particularly to patients with Diabetes. Its launch supportsInsulin Safety Week’s campaignto reduce insulin errors and follows an independent survey* of more than 100 HCPs that highlighted the risks of NSIs and the challenges of controlling the delivery of the correct dose.

With 3.8 million people in the UK with Diabetes, and an estimated 20-30% of them treated with insulin,Trend Diabetes reportsthat insulin errors are common and can result in harm to the patient or even death in the most severe cases. The Insulin Trend report states that insulin error occurred in 40% of all people with Type 1 Diabetes and 37% of all people with Type 2 Diabetes, highlighting the critical importance of correct dose delivery.

Listed on the Drug Tariff, following its approval for use by the NHS Prescription Services, GP Practices are now able to prescribe the device and pharmacists can dispense to suitable patients. Unifine® SafeControl®is also now listed with healthcare distribution group, Bunzl Healthcare, facilitating access of the device to NHS Trusts and other Primary Healthcare organisations.

Daniel Hampson, Strategic Buyer at Bunzl Healthcare, says in today’s healthcare environment the NHS and other healthcare organisations need to deliver effective and cost-efficient patient care:“Bunzl Healthcare manages a reliable, modern and evolutionary supply chain service to help facilitate efficiency at every level. We’re pleased to be able to also offer Unifine® SafeControl®to our customers.

Joanne Thompson, General Manager, UK/Ireland and ROW at Owen Mumford says the company is proud of the safety pen needle’s intelligent design: “This device minimises the possibility of needle stick injuries, helping to protect HCPs and patients from blood-borne viruses and infections,” she explains. “It has been designed to support controlled dose delivery, potentially saving lives for patients too.”

Leanne Adam, Marketing Manager at Owen Mumford, says Owen Mumford is committed to meeting the needs of HCPs and patients through medical device innovation: “This is why we have commissioned research and have taken time to understand HCP experiences and needs during their daily practice, and how it can impact patients’ lives. This approach has led us to develop a solution that is designed to be safe for both HCPs and patients.”

In the research*, some 92% agreed that they were 100% sure that the medication dose was fully delivered using the new device and 75% agreed that it gave them the right combination of safety and control of the drug delivery during the injection process. Almost three quarters agreed that they would prefer to use Unifine® SafeControl®, if given the choice.

“The fact you can control the injection process means HCPs and patients can be reassured that the full dose has been delivered. This is especially useful for people living with Diabetes where under or over dosage of insulin can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening.”

A recyclable green cap for sterility and protection prior to injection
Compatible with all major brands of injection pens
With Unifine® SafeControl®, HCPs maintain a similar injection technique to that used with conventional pen needles.
Leanne concludes: “Whilst we supply directly to hospital trusts, we are pleased to give our customers choice by expanding our distribution to include Bunzl Healthcare. We also believe that Unifine® SafeControl®will provide the solution to the challenges faced by HCPs using passive safety pen needles; providing assurance that they are delivering the best care to their patients, whilst providing protection from NSIs.”