Closed System Drug Transfer Device Prevents Contamination

A novel closed system transfer device (CSTD) protects healthcare professionals from hazardous drugs and vapor exposure.

The Equashield II CTSD is a preassembled syringe that prevents plunger contamination by hazardous drugs or air-bubble migration. The system is equipped with an encapsulated barrel and plunger, built-in closed pressure equalization, and an integrated single motion connector that remains free of drug residuals after multiple connections. Closed pressure equalization and dry connectors are integrated into the syringe, thus preventing microbial ingress into media-filled vials even after repeated inoculation. Since the preassembled syringe requires no further setup, quicker deployment times are available.


The syringe has two chambers, one for liquid and one for air, located at the end of the injection piston. As the piston moves, one chamber’s volume increases, while the other chamber’s volume decreases by precisely the same amount, creating a totally balanced exchange of air and liquid, ensuring that there is no excess pressure that will push out droplets or vapors. As the needle head is recessed back out of the mechanism, it moves through a mechanical dryer to ensure that there is no residue to escape.

The Equashield II syringe also connects with a single motion to proprietary adaptors for vials, intravenous (IV) bags, and tubing, and requires no further setup, thereby contributing to ease of use and overall hospital productivity. Safety feature include closed internal pressure equalization, a connector that is permanently welded to syringe, and an encapsulated plunger that cannot be pulled out of the barrel. Surface contamination by antineoplastic agents is thus eliminated, helping to extend beyond-use dating for single-use or non-preserved drugs. The Equashield II CTSD is a product of Equashield (Migdal Tefen, Israel).

“We are proud to unveil our second generation, market-leading solution, Equashield II,” said Marino Kriheli, product manager for Equashield. “Other products on the market offer medical professionals dealing with chemotherapy and other hazardous drugs partial or no protection. By covering more routes of exposure than ever, this product is a truly closed system, and as such, provides medical professionals with unprecedented safety.”

Contamination by antineoplastic drugs is a common problem, with residues found on the skin of more than a quarter of nurses who came into contact with patients on chemotherapy regimens. Surfaces in hospital pharmacies, operating rooms, and treatment areas can also retain residues from antineoplastic drugs and other pharmaceuticals. Once released into the environment, anyone in the area is at risk of ingesting them, which could cause skin irritation and even long term complications, such as infertility, miscarriage, congenital malformation, and leukemia or other types of cancer.

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