What is VAX-ID?
VAX-ID is an award-winning patented medical device that allows vaccination and drug delivery in the dermal layer of the skin.
It is suited for standardized, accurate and reliable intradermal injection with a high ease of use.
Devices are currently available for investigational use only (IUO) and research use only (RUO).
How does VAX-ID work?
VAX-ID is applied perpendicular to the skin by a healthcare professional. Here are some of the steps on how the device works:
- Attach the draw needle to the syringe and draw the volume that needs to be injected from the vial.
- Put the syringe into the VAX-ID adapter. Activate the device by removing the pin.
- Place the foot on the skin, keeping the adapter in perpendicular position.
- Push the housing down to meet the foot, allowing the needle to penetrate in the skin.
- Remove VAX-ID from the skin and deactivate the device by pulling the food away from the housing and placing the pin back in its original position.
Why use VAX-ID?
Some of VAX-ID’s unique propositions include:
- Accurate injection at a predefined penetration depth
- Dose sparing
- Activation protection and needle-stick injury prevention
- Low in pain and no needle phobia
- Easy to use, potentially leading to self-administration
- User independent
Why skin?
Skin is an overlooked optimal site for drug delivery. The skin is our first line of defence offering a dense network of immune cells. Injection in the dermal layer of the skin offers great benefits for both prophylactic and therapeutic drug delivery.
For prophylactic vaccines there is a clear dose-sparing potential as only 1/10th of the dose is needed compared to intramuscular and subcutaneous administration (1). For therapeutic drug delivery, the rich immune network in the skin offers scope for cell therapy and cancer immunotherapy.
What is the penetration depth of VAX-ID and why is it important?
VAX-ID can be preconfigured with a 32G, 30G, or 27G needle with an average injection depth depth of 0.49mm, 0.62mm and 0.81mm respectively (2). VAX-ID is designed to allow optimal injection independent of age, gender, BMI.
The penetration depth of the needle was predefined based on skin thickness evaluations executed in adults, adolescents as well as children (3,4). Accuracy of penetration depth is important as the dermal layer of the skin is limited in thickness.
What do users say about the usability and acceptability of VAX-ID?
The acceptability and usability of the latest generation of the VAX-ID prototype was evaluated in 15 healthcare professionals. Brief verbal instructions were given on how to use VAX-ID and all participants were asked to complete the questionnaire during/after use. Factos such as design, ease of use, and safety were assessed.
Overall, the feedback was positive on the design of the device, safety (no fear for needle-stick injuries) and user friendliness of intradermal vaccination using VAX-ID. The major drawback included the difficult/unclear handling steps and the need to learn a new technique (first time usage) (5).
Next steps
CE marking, FDA approval and other registrations are expected in the upcoming months.
We are also working alongside Stemberg, Voxdale, Ghent University and the University of Antwerp to develop ROB-ID, a vaccination robot. ROB-ID integrates VAX-ID allowing for safe and accurate skin drug delivery offloading professional caregivers.
