Chanda Doctor Designs Syringe for Epidural Anesthesia

Even a simple innovation can have a big impact. One such has been done by a Chandrapur-based anesthetist Dr Sunil Dixit, who has modified the syringe used in administering epidural anesthesia making the procedure easier, safer and cheaper. He has applied for a patent. Epidural anesthesia is given by injecting a drug into the lumbar area of the spine in the space between spinal cord and the dura. It eliminates sensation from the point of insertion downward and is used mostly during childbirth. The syringe and the system used in epidural anesthesia costs more than ₹2000. Dr Dixit has modified the ordinary syringe by cutting a little part of it and using two rubber bands. This epidural anesthesia syringe costs just ₹5-10. He has already used the modified syringe on 500 patients successfully without any complication.

“Chandrapur is a small city. People here are mostly laborers and cannot afford expensive treatment. They come to me often for their acute back pains. An epidural injection helps relieve pain to a large extent and hence I need these syringes more. I was working on reducing cost of these syringes. This simple technique worked very well,” Dr Dixit said here on Monday. Dr Dixit stated that the ‘auto-detect’ epidural syringes made by foreign companies allow automatic detection of epidural space because of continuous positive pressure applied to Loss of Resistance (LOR) syringe piston by an elastic strip. When the needle enters the epidural space, LOR is visible by the sudden positive movement of the syringe piston. There is no need to push on the plunger, the auto-detect epidural syringe does it for you.

“I thought of using rubber bands with conventional LOR syringe using the same principle and it is just as effective. Instead of spending thousands we can have the same purpose served for about ₹1000,” he added. The anesthetist first gives local anesthesia on the back over the spine. Then the anesthetic drugs are sent through the modified syringe which too automatically senses the epidural space. Dr Anup Marar, Orange City Hospital and Research Institute (OCHRI) director, Dr Usha Nair, also an OCHRI director, Dr Neeta Deshpande, anesthetist from OCHRI, Dr Sunita Lawange, senior anesthetist and president of Indian Society of Anesthesiology Nagpur Chapter also corroborated the advantages of the modified syringe. Dr Dixit recently presented his innovation at national anesthesiology conference at Shirdi. – TOI