Genius Invention! One Mom Develops Device to Make Shots Pain-Free
We’ve all been through tough doctor’s visits for vaccinations, but Amy Baxter, herself a pediatric ER physician, was desperate to figure out how to take the sting out of shots after a traumatic experience with a particularly insensitive nurse intensified her own son’s phobia of needles.
According to Huffington Post, it was the happy accident of a wonky tire that caused Amy’s steering wheel to vibrate, which made her realize the sensation caused enough numbness to kill her pain response. That’s how Buzzy — a vibrating ice pack device — was born!
Amy explains, “I knew that ice could block pain signals from going to the brain [...] But I needed something more — something that would create a numbing effect in seconds, so it could be used while a child is being given shots, yet not slow down the nursing staff.” Vibrations coupled with a cold pack seemed to do the trick!
After what she calls her “Eureka moment,” she developed a prototype, and even won a $1.1M National Institute of Health research grant to develop the product. Buzzy, which looks like an adorable bee, is a tool for parents, not hospitals or doctor’s offices — Amy felt that empowering children and even adults with “personal pain control” would help lessen the anxiety that comes with shots.
So far it’s working! Buzzy is a hit with needle-phobes young and old. Look for the device in Walgreen’s stores or at Buzzy’s website.
Source: Huffington Post
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