Thiruvananthapuram:
A Kerala based doctor on Sunday claimed he has developed a "cheap, effective and eco-friendly" medical syringe that can never be reused.
Dr Baby Manoj, who works as a radiologist in Kozhikode, has invented the syringe - Peanut Safe Syringe - which has been recognised by National Research Development Corporation, an undertaking of the Union Ministry of Science & Technology, as the Best Invention Award for the Year 2011.
The Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has also recognised it as the best invention award for 2011, Manoj said in a release.
"The Peanut Safe Syringe becomes absolutely redundant after its first use. It can't be reused - neither the syringe nor the needle.... I have created a disposable syringe that is both cheap and safe," he said.
The significance of the invention is that over a million blood infections occur annually in India leading to killer diseases like HIV and hepatitis, and around 300,000 of the infected people die for no fault of theirs, he pointed out.
"And it all happens because 600 crore used syringes come back in the market without being sterilised while unsuspecting patients fall a victim to it, contracting the life-sapping blood-borne diseases," he said.