Innovative connected syringe based on NFC technology

Integrated inside the body of the syringe, the tag enables manufacturing, medical personnel, and patients to access important medicine-related information.

The ultra-miniaturised NFC tag is directly over-moulded into the syringe by NP Plastibell. While the syringe is filled with medicine, the NFC tag can store related information to allow the patient and their doctors and nurses to validate its legitimacy, view the manufacturing history, see usage recommendations, and find any other important information or warnings.  

NP Plastibell faced a broad range of challenges in developing the connected syringe. In addition to creating a manufacturing process that embeds the NFC tag in the syringe and protects it from the medical contents, ST helped NP Plastibell overcome the various constraints linked to the NFC tag and the life cycle of pre-filled syringes. These included sterilisation of the syringe at temperatures above 130°C by autoclave without damaging the electronics.

With experience embedding its NFC tags in unique products, ST is developing and providing a broad portfolio of robust NFC tag ICs addressing multiple markets including the medical and pharmaceutical ones.

“NFC tags can store product-specific information in web links or even in a dedicated app. In this connected syringe, the tag helps medical staff get accurate information quickly on their mobile phone or using an NFC reader to find out the correct dosage, special instructions, expiration dates, storage conditions, or any other important data. Patients can also easily setup reminders by scanning the tag with their mobile,” explains Yvon Gourdou, EMEA Application and Marketing Director, Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group, STMicroelectronics.

NP Plastibell is planning to further develop connected medical devices based on ST’s ST25TV NFC tag IC: "Once this technology is on the market, we can extend it to other medical products and so bring similar connected value to equipment such as surgical devices, implant packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, and diagnostic devices," explains Matthieu Besse, R&D Manager at NP Plastibell.