How Can a Smaller Prefilled Syringe Transform Medical Logistics with Ian Speers & Robert Halvorsen

Speaker A: The trains left the station. We are in go time.

Speaker B: Today. We're having Ian and Robert here with us. Robert was actually on stage with us for the Health Tech360 Big Impact Award of 2026. So we're so excited for you guys to be in the life science biotech space.

Speaker C: A lot of studies have found that 20 to 30% of the time when we're dosing PEDs in emergency situation, we're misdosing, and that's a real issue.

Speaker A: We've been going out, hitting conferences and other avenues to find folks who are creating these kits, and they say, when can I buy them? How many can I buy?

Speaker B: Welcome to Provider's Edge, where healthcare leaders and innovators learn how to scale smarter, lead stronger, and create lasting impact. You can have a great consumer health solution or a medical device and still struggle if it's too expensive to move the product, too bulky to store, or too complicated to use. In this episode, Ian and Robert show us how questioning something as ordinary as a syringe can uncover opportunities to lower costs, improve access, and reduce clinical errors. Whether you run a private practice, a health system, or innovation company, you'll learn why solving the whole workflow can make your solution more valuable. How did you guys come up with the idea? And then why do you feel like now is really the critical time that you really need to build this for everyone?

Speaker C: Sure. Thanks so much and it's awesome to be here. Yeah, I'll go back to the beginning. So my background is in medical logistics, public health, emergency management, and emergency medical services. And I used to kind of work on ambulances and in ems, and then I switched over into supply chain management, public health program management for nonprofits, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. And I started to notice that the products that I was used to seeing and using and stocking were not accessible in a lot of areas that we were then working in. I started to kind of ask myself, why? Why is that the case? And I realized that the supply chain was often the challenge, getting in the way of getting these products to the end of the last mile. And so I started realizing, hey, what is in each box? And how much space these things take up really impacts the amount of money that it costs to move them. It impacts the amount of carbon that we're using, and it impacts how many things or doses of medic, for example, we can get to those who need it, which impacts health equity. And so I was like, wow, this is a really interesting issue to dive into. And I started to look in those boxes and figure out that there were a bunch of different ways that we could save space for those products. Pre filled syringes are one of them. And that's what we're focusing on. The standard prefilled syringe, Robert's holding, that has not really been reinvented in many, many years. And so when we went from always drawing up from vials and ampules in the field into now pre filling billions and billions of pre filled syringes at the point of manufacture each year, we never reinvented really the pre filled syringe. So it has this big bulky plunger rod sticking all the way out the back throughout packaging, shipping, storage, and that drives costs up and that drives logistical requirements up and it drives carbon up. So our first product is really tackling that bulky plunger rod. And thankfully Robert I've known since undergrad and he's the creative engineer behind all of this. I'm not an engineer. I brought a problem and a potential solution and Robert made it into an actual product where we've made a collapsible plunger rod that's nested on the side of the pre filled syringe and then when you're ready to use it, you install it in the back. But I'll pass it over to Robert to explain more of his background, how he came onto this product and project and where we are now.

Speaker A: Yeah, sure. I am a mechanical engineer and a human centered designer. And when Ian came to me with all of his ideas for how to make public health access better, the pre filled syringe was a great balance of there's a huge need, but also this is a solution that I can build in my garage. So yeah, we created this plunger rod that nests on the side and for something so simple, it has the potential to have a tremendous amount of impact. Just by shrinking this packaging volume, we are able to add more doses of medication to kits and medical bags and we're able to do that in a way that doesn't affect the patient's experience or the clinician's experience. So our goal is to get more medication into more spaces and we're doing that by folding a syringe in half. It's pretty amazing.

Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. What I'm hearing from Ian is that not only he got an idea and understand the need in the space, I think what's critical is innovators. When you are actually understand because you are part of the challenge, right? You're in supply chain, you're seeing it, then you actually know there is A market for these problems. And then you're able to say, who's going to build this for me, right? I'm not the builder. I can find a uh, trusted friend that can do this. Then Robert comes along, right? Which is amazing when we're thinking about dynamic of any innovative companies or teams that we say there's truly three core people, right? You, Ian as an innovator, Robert as a person who's a strategist, who can take your vision into something in reality. And then the third person is going to be a promoter, making sure that now you can translate the amazing things that you're doing to the public to get the champions, to get the people on board. So we can actually sell, right? We can actually create ROIs. We can actually get people saying, hey, the old way of syringes. I remember days in the hospital, right? I'm going in to do a procedure now, I'm like a handful. I'm like asking the nurse like, hey, can I have a couple syringes? Right? And then your pocket, like there's not enough space in your pocket to do all this stuff. So it's definitely a challenge, right? When you're thinking about packaging and I'm just thinking about even the smallest thing, these boxes with the syringes, okay, Then half the boxes is technically useless space, right? You're just.

Speaker A: Exactly.

Speaker B: And when you can package it more, then you're saving up space in different storage space in a hospital. These things can package more other supplies that's really needed in a critical thing, right? You also mentioned a carbon footprint. I think also the world is recognizing more of reducing plastic use and anything that we do need to be environmental friendly because everything is built into each other. So what do you guys believe the trend is, right? Is this something that you truly believe can be adapted into all settings across healthcare system? And where do you want to start first?

Speaker A: That's a great question. Broadly, pre filled syringes are becoming more and more popular. If a medicine can be pre filled into a syringe, folks want it in a pre filled syringe because the alternative is having it in a vial or having it in an ampule and you've got to withdraw the medication, there's a bunch of steps, you can contaminate it, it's a pain in the drain. The pre filled syringe removes all of those steps and creates the medication in a form that is immediately accessible by the provider. So the industry broadly is going towards pre filled syringes and other pre dosed forms like auto Injectors. For us personally, the world is our oyster. Anything that's pre filled, we can put it into our compact form factor. The syringe that we're starting with is the 10 milliliter saline flush because it is the most common pre filled syringe in the world. Billions of these things circulate around and for that reason it made sense for us to start there. The materials are a little bit less complicated than some of the glass syringes, Syringes for the more high stakes medications. And saline itself is a relatively safe drug. It's just salt and water. So we combined the prototyping experience that I have with these off the shelf syringes and we were able to show that all we need to do is swap out this plunger rod. And the 10ml saline flush is useful both in the hospital context and in the emergency context. And if you have a medic out in the field who needs to rescue someone, clean a wound, set an IV line, they need to have saline in order to flush out the wound or the IV line. And currently their kits are really tiny and so they literally cannot fit a full 10mL saline flush. So they're forced to use smaller saline flushes that don't have enough in there, or they have an empty syringe like this and then they need to find saline elsewhere. This form factor will allow medics to hold enough saline in their kits without having any extra stuff. And that's where we're starting. Great need. We go from zero to one in terms of the medication. And then in other places we're going to expand to maybe hospitals and clinics that can still afford these, but they would still love to have those cost savings. And then from there we're going to expand into other medications that would benefit tremendously from having this smaller form factor, but might have a little bit more regulatory burden on them. For example, like emergency medicines, epinephrine, stuff like that.

Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. And I also see, uh, nowadays everyone's talking about peptide and that's another market in itself that need to be, uh, combined because all of them usually come, these little tiny vials people have to then combine with the stereostatic water and make them. Then you know, from a clinician to a patient perspective, I'm like, that's a lot of work, right? For people. You, we put a ceiling in there, shake it, measure it, refrigerator, put it in the syringe. I'm like, that's multiple steps. That's like almost like your medical assistant, uh, nurse's job. To do that. So from even that, uh, since that's a big market that could definitely could potential be. So that's exciting. So we're starting from validated market that has the biggest entrance. Right. It's easy. And your biggest draw is we're gonna create a lower cost as well as actually increase other benefits from the storage, transportation, all these different metrics. Now where are you guys at right now that we can celebrate in terms of development, in terms of our contract. Where are you?

Speaker A: Yeah, we are so excited to have tremendous commercial interest already. There are certain folks who build medical kits that use these already and they're like, man, I really want to go smaller. There are folks that use this is the 5ml, this is a 10ml and this is a 3ml. And all of these can be replaced by a compact 10mL saline flash.

Speaker B: What I love about Ian and Robert's story is that they didn't start by asking what can we invent? They started, uh, by looking at a problem Ian had actually lived, which is getting essential medical supplies where they need it without wasting space, money or resources. By redesigning something as simple as a syringe plunger, they're showing us that meaningful healthcare innovation can start by questioning the everyday things we simply learn to work around. Before we jump into the rest of today's conversation, let's take a quick pause and share something that can be perfect for you. As some of you listening. If you are a clinician, industry expert or established founder, shaping the future of longevity, women's health, mental well being and other health innovations and you have proven expertise, meaningful resell or healthcare company generating at least $1 million in revenue. We would love to hear your expertise apply to be a featured speaker on um Provider's Edge and share the insight with other healthcare leaders. Need to hear. Visit the providersedge.com to apply.

Speaker A: We've been going out, hitting conferences and other avenues to find folks who are creating these kits and they say when can I buy them? How many can I buy? And we're working with a manufacturer right now to fulfill those orders and hopefully in the next 12 to 2018 months we will have product on the market, fully validated and be able to provide the saline flashes that these kidders so desperately want.

Speaker B: That's amazing. Now Ian, what do you feel like? Everything is done in phases, right? So now, right now the phases are we're building phase or fulfillment phase. Let's figure out the actual workflow to get the things produced and get to the people's right hand. Once you guys start hitting the market, what do you feel like is the next wave that is the company part of that company growth or part of that big, bigger picture that you guys are creating?

Speaker C: Yeah, I'd uh, say there are two things. One is continuing to branch out into other medications, especially ones that are used in space constrained or logistically constrained environments, especially emergency use meds or cold chain meds, like you mentioned earlier, where there's a real need to reduce their cube or their packaging footprint. And then the other is we have another invention coming down the pipeline, another one that is focused on making the plunger rod actually help you and work for you rather than just against you all the time. This one's actually something that we came up again focused on kind of the emergency medicine use case. And this specifically has some interesting implications for pediatric emergency medicine where we're usually, you know, getting something that is in a maximum dose format in a pre filled syringe, and then we are doing a partial dose for a patient based on their weight or the situation or their height. Oftentimes we take like a Brazil tape or a weight based measurement tape, figure out, you know, what dose we should be providing the kid, and then we try to push that dose. But a lot of the times we're doing that inaccurately. A lot of studies have found that 20 to 30% of the time when we're dosing PEDs in an emergency situation were misdosing. That's a real issue. And so we came up with a design that has a movable plunger rod clip on it that can be matched with a specific pre filled medication. And then when you find, you know exactly the size or the color on the weight based measuring tape that you need to use, you can go over the medication that you need, move that clip to the right area that is also color coded and marked and then push it down and then it'll stop you at uh, the exact dose that you wanted to give. So it's a physical stop that supports you in precision dosing under stress, under a lot of cognitive load. We're trying to make it a little bit easier for folks to do what they're trying to do in those scenarios. So more things coming down the pipeline that are earlier in research and development phases and we're excited to pursue those as well.

Speaker B: That's exciting. I'm sure there's a lot of the pediatricians in our ecosystem is going to be interested in seeing that because we all know when we're practicing a lot of time we don't have unless you go into peace, right. You're not going to be that exposed into those uh, situations to understand the calculation dosing. So if you have a covering physician happen to be in the ER that actually have peace coming in, this is going to be a huge step safety metric that people can feel better about receiving care and practicing medicine. And also we know that there's just not too many pediatric emergency department. Right. So we really have to think about how to help the general ers at uh, these urgent care even to be able to provide more help for pediatric patients. So excited for you guys to have that down the pipeline and then getting the right pediatrician to see it. Right. Validate it. I uh, think one of the biggest thing is sometimes we see these innovation company we always like yay, you have one or two medical doctors or champions, what about others? Right. Because every single practice is different. So we are always loving and say how do we get more of those practitioners to see it, to actually validate it, to have almost like a uh, webinar to a roundtable. Right. To really think about it. Because that becomes such a power play for all of you guys, especially people across the country. Right. If we were focusing in the US and also start getting into the Canadians, the South Americans, the European, Asia. Right. The more that you guys grow, the bigger pictures that can be and I just think of endless possibilities. Right. And I'm so excited for everything that you guys have been building. How do you believe the community can support you right now? Is that knowing who to talk to is a certain introduction. What is it that you feel like in the next, let's say three to six months. That will be a great support for you.

Speaker C: Yeah. Well thanks for bringing up the importance of user testing and continuous human centered design. That is something that's so important for us. We've been building this with folks from M the get go. We do design a thons, we go to conferences, get hands on it with actual clinicians with a uh, diverse set of experiences and backgrounds. And that's been so helpful for us. So, so helpful and we want to continue to do that. So one of the things that people could do to engage with us is talk with us, have us actually explain what we're trying to do, give us their feedback, do some non clinical hands on testing with this and give us pointers along the way to make sure that we're continuing to integrate their needs, their feedback and their advice. So we're building something that works for people and that's the Most important thing, we're also continuing to enter into conversations with different pharmaceutical companies, prefilled syringe manufacturers, and compounding pharmacies to meet their needs and demand for a compact form factor for a variety of medications. So we're always interested in engaging with folks to try to solve what their specific problem is for their specific medication. And we're also interested in engaging with distributors, end users, purchasers, to make sure that we're understanding what they need, you know, exactly the form that they need it in and how we can support them in getting that product to the end of the line. So in a lot of cases, we're putting a lot of pieces of the puzzle together. We're talking with end users, purchasers, distributors, pharma, uh, and we are connecting and making sure that everyone's needs and challenges are heard and then responded to with the product that we're making here.

Speaker B: Yeah, that's amazing. That plays into your expertise in supply chain. Right. We obviously think about as, uh, the entire client journey. Where's the starting point? All the people that's involved, entity involved to make things happen from the entity that produce the medicine. How do they package? Who is the next person hand over? Because in medicine, wellness, really any ecosystem or industry, there are legal, financial, and then there's the operational side. Right. So everything need to be data checked. And when you are in the center and helping them along the line to connect the dots, you become a necessity. Right. You're not just a, uh, product anymore. So I love that mindset that you guys have is about being supportive in every single facet of the entire client journey and not just a supplier of part of the solution. And that's the exciting thing and the true leader that can make something a bigger vision than something that can just solve a problem of right now. All right, so I'm excited for everything you have done. I'm moving so far again. Congratulations on closing your rounds as well as the Impact Award. What are some of the last words that you'd like to share with, uh, our audience?

Speaker A: We're just so excited about this and it's happening. This has been a journey of persistence and honestly, it's been a little bit of serendipity. Ian came to me with a need and I thought that I could help. And we kept building and we kept applying and we just built momentum slowly but steadily over the years. And now we're ready for action. We've got customers, we're doing manufacturing, we're doing it, and we're along for the ride. And we'd love to have you participate in any way, whether it's with, you know, potential funding in the future or user testing now. Yeah, we're so excited about getting it done. And the trains left the station. We are in go time.

Speaker B: Awesome. Thanks, guys, for spending the time here. For anybody else who's listening, if you have an interest in making sure to check out their website, all the information in the show, not below. And then also, um, wanted for you guys to reflect on the topic we're discussing. If you're a healthcare practitioner, uh, of any sort, have you been experiencing similar struggles? If you're wishing your medicine is prepackaged in the smaller syringe or in practice yourself, how do you see this positively impacting your own personal life as your practitioner and as well as your engagement with your patients? What stands out here is that Ian and Robert aren't stopping with one smaller syringe. They're listening to clinicians, manufacturers, distributors and purchasers to understand what needs to work across the entire journey. And their next idea tackles something even bigger. Helping clinicians dose pediatric medication more precisely under pressure. That's the lesson for us as innovators. Don't just build a product. Keep listening, validating and designing around the people who actually have to use it. Now, for all of you innovators out there who has idea, startup, innovation company that really could shape how we practice medicine and heal and maintain the healthy status that we want to bring it to, hot or not, you get two minutes to pitch your company in front of investors, clinicians, operators and industry leaders. Then the audience weighs in. Is this a hat, a solution the market wants, or not? A concept that needs more validation so that you don't waste your resources, time and money doing something that really needs a refinement? Also known as pitch to yes. This is your opportunity to pressure test your message, get real feedback, and potentially connect with partners, customers and investors. Submit your pitch at pitch to yes.com and join us for our next virtual event. Because great ideas deserve honest feedback. We would love to continue this conversation. Wherever you're listening watching this, please drop it in the comment below. Make sure to tag Ian, Robert and myself so we can continue to support you. Because in healthcare, it's always a team work, right? It's technically, there's very little competition because we can only help so many people at one time. So when we can join effort together, things just happen a, um, lot faster and magnified some of the biggest opportunities. Start by questioning the everyday problems we learned to work around. Ian and Robert took wasted space in a pre filled syringe and connect it uh to cost, access, sustainability and patient safety. Their journey reminds us that a strong idea becomes far more valuable when you paired it with the right expertise, validate it with the real users and understand every stakeholder needed to bring it to market. Here are the key learning points. Number one Big opportunity can hide in everyday workflows Ian noticed that traditional pre filled syringes with valuable packaging and shipping space. By questioning something healthcare already accepted for many years, the team found an opportunity to reduce logistic barriers and improve access.

Speaker C: 2.

Speaker B: Simple design changes can create multiple types of ROI. A smaller syringe for format can potentially reduce storage needs, transportation costs, packaging value and carbon impact while allowing more medication to fit into medication kits. 1. Product change can therefore create operational, financial, environmental and clinical value. 3. The right team turns an idea into a usable solution. Ian brought firsthand knowledge of the supply chain problem, while Robert bought mechanical engineering and human centered design expertise. Their partnership shows why founders need complementary strength rather than trying to build everything themselves. Number four Start with the market where adoption is most realistic. The team choose the 10ml Sealant Flush as its first product because it is widely used and offers a practical entrance point before moving into more complex medication. Founders can build stronger momentum by proven demand in one clear market before expanding. 5. Product Market Fit requires continuous user validation. Ian and Robert continue testing their ideas with clinicians, purchasers, distributors, manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. Their approach shows that healthcare innovation must work across the entire adoption journey, not just one enthusiastic user. Number six Good innovation reduces cognitive load the future pediatric dosing concept uses a physical step to help clinician administer more precise doses during stressful emergency situations. Instead of adding another task or dashboard, the design aims to make the safer action easier to perform today. Ian and Robert showed us how rethinking something as familiar as a syringe can reduce waste, lower cost and improve access to care. If that sparks an idea for you, then go to the episode called what's the Slowing Oral Health Innovation? With Katie d', Amico, we explored how healthcare founders can validate their solutions, fit into a real workflow and build the partnerships needed, uh, for adoption. You'll find a link in the show note below. Thank you for listening. Remember, the positive change we're seeking starts right here with me and you. If you are a fan of the show or if you if you are just having struggles or success that you either experienced in the past or are experiencing now in the healthcare industry, these matter to all of us. I want to hear from you, visit sabrinarumbach.com connect and send me a direct message. Talk soon.