World's First Robot with Closed System Transfer Device to be Introduced by Equashield to Further Protect Pharmacy Staff During Hazardous Drug Compounding

PORT WASHINGTON, New York, November 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Equashield, a leading provider of Closed System Transfer Devices (CSTD) for safe and simple handling of hazardous drugs, announced today that it is expanding its range of solutions and products offered by entering the field of automation. Its newest product, a compounding robot named Equashield® Pro, will be introduced at the upcoming ASHP Midyear Meeting.

"The throughput capacities of current compounding robots and their ability to prevent contamination by hazardous drugs is near its peak efficiency, defined - and limited - by the robotic "arms" mimicking dose preparation with a needle and syringe," explained Marino Kriheli, founder of Equashield. Equashield® Pro is designed around Equashield's proprietary CSTD technology, which simplifies the overall Robot design and increases throughput exponentially. The industry has accepted that CSTDs were created to prevent deficiencies that exist when compounding with needles and syringes, including the escape of hazardous drug via leakage, aerosol and vapor.

"Equashield Pro also means that healthcare workers are now protected by Equashield CSTDs from the compounding stage all the way through the administration of these drugs to patients, in-line with the upcoming USP800 guidelines," continued Kriheli.

Equashield® Pro is designed to make adoption of Robotics in the IV Room simple and affordable regardless of hospital size. It is easy to fit into hospital pharmacies and comparable in size to a standard Biological Safety Cabinet. The system enables compounding large variety of patient specific chemotherapy doses quickly, using a unique and safe method of compounding that shortens the process flow while performing multiple tasks simultaneously. Equashield® Pro's dose verification software allows for a highly reliable system, reducing the occurrences of medication dosage and identification errors in hospitals.

Equashield has become a dominant player in the CSTD market, having surpassed 500 customers in the United States and a presence in over 20 countries globally.

Equashield® Pro will be introduced at the ASHP Midyear Meeting in Las Vegas, NV, December 5-7 at Booth 1251.

About Equashield 

Equashield is a leading provider of Closed System Transfer Devices (CSTDs), clinically proven to protect healthcare professionals from hazardous drug exposure. Incorporating a pioneering design, the company's flagship device, EQUASHIELD^® II, covers more routes of exposure than alternative systems by preventing: contamination of syringe plungers, drug residuals on connector surfaces as well as exposure to drug vapor. Studies have shown Equashield's CSTD to be faster to deploy and easier to use than competing systems and has passed NIOSH's proposed vapor containment protocol, confirming that it can contain vapors & emissions. The EQUASHIELD system has been cleared by the FDA under the ONB product code and substantiated in FDA-cleared labeling as preventing microbial ingress for up to 7 days. 

For more information: http://www.equashield.com

Media Contact:
Finn Partners for Equashield
Nicole Grubner
[email protected]
@nicolegrubner
+1-929-222-8011

SOURCE Equashield