How IntegriMedical’s Technology Is Transforming Healthcare

Picture a clinic on vaccination day without the chorus of protest. No white-knuckled grips on a parent’s hand, no children turning away at the sight of a syringe. Instead, a quieter scene unfolds. A small handheld device, a soft click, and in less than a tenth of a second the dose is delivered. No needle in sight.

“It was like magic,” recalls Samreen Sood, a parent from Pune whose 12-year-old son recently received a vaccine using IntegriMedical’s Needle-Free Injection System (N-FIS). “He usually gets terrified at the sight of a needle, but this time, he just sat there. No tears, no drama. For the first time, I walked out of the clinic feeling relief instead of guilt.”

This quiet revolution in medicine isn’t about a new vaccine or drug — it’s about how medicine is delivered. At its heart lies a deceptively simple question: what if we could remove the needle altogether?

Why needle injections needed rethinking

Sarvesh Mutha, Managing Director at IntegriMedical, traces the idea to years of watching the same emotional barrier play out. In his words, the old method brought more than fear. It carried risks that touched everyone in the room.

“Beyond the fear factor, traditional syringes bring a host of concerns, ranging from cross-contamination, tissue trauma, and needle-stick injuries for healthcare professionals.”

Together with colleagues Scott McFarland (CEO), Mark Timm (COO) and Ankur Naik (Managing Director), he set out to rebuild the experience from the ground up.

The problem they aimed to solve was both large and personal. 

“Globally, studies indicate that needle phobia affects nearly 20–50 percent of children and around 20–30 percent of adults,” says Sarvesh. This fear has consequences that ripple through public health: people delay treatments, skip blood tests and avoid routine immunisations. In a country where mass vaccination programmes are central to well-being, that hesitation is not a footnote. It shapes outcomes.

How a jet is set to replace needles

The Needle-Free Injection System (N-FIS) looks simple, but its engineering is precise.

N-FIS addresses this challenge at its root. It uses a high-pressure, spring-driven stainless-steel piston to dispense medication in a controlled jet stream, eliminating the need for a needle. The stream penetrates the skin and delivers the drug to a specific depth, with the entire process completed in under one-tenth of a second. This makes the injection not only highly efficient but also almost painless.

Because there is no piercing metal, common problems linked with conventional syringes are avoided. The jet ensures precise drug delivery with minimal discomfort, meaning less pooling, bruising, or tissue damage. Above all, it means less fear before the visit and less pain after it.

The device also brings practical simplicity. A single unit can deliver up to 10,000 shots. With no sharps disposal required, logistical hurdles are reduced, infection risk lowered, and frontline staff freed from needle-stick injuries. As Sarvesh puts it: “This isn’t just a device; it’s a system designed to simplify care delivery on multiple levels.”

What changes when children stop bracing for pain

In Ahmedabad, Dr Minol Amin remembers how the dynamics of a clinic room change when the needle disappears.

“The decision to incorporate IntegriMedical’s N-FIS into my clinical practice stemmed from a need to make vaccinations and injectable therapies more approachable, especially for children.”

After demonstrations and training, she began using it primarily in paediatric settings and saw the effect at once. “The shift in patient behaviour has been remarkable. Children who would previously become anxious or cry at the sight of a needle are now calmer and more cooperative. The fear factor is eliminated.”

It isn’t only children. “Even adults with needle phobia or chronic conditions requiring regular injections have responded positively,” says Dr Minol. 

“One of the standout advantages of the N-FIS device is its ability to administer medication almost painlessly. Since there’s no needle piercing the skin, there’s rarely swelling or post-injection discomfort.” Parents who once expected tears now ask for the needle-free option by name.

In New Delhi, Dr Lalit Mohan Kaushik recalls how tense a room became the moment a syringe appeared. He remembers a nine-year-old girl who clutched her mother’s hand, refusing the painful jab. 

After he explained the needle-free method, she agreed. “The vaccination was completed within seconds, and to her surprise, she barely even realised it was done.” Stories like this, he says, are now common in his practice.

Where it helps most

Both doctors stress that the technology is not limited to one kind of dose or age group. Dr Minol describes N-FIS as “incredibly versatile,” useful not only for paediatric vaccines but also for long-term therapies where repeated injections can be a barrier to adherence. “Anywhere subcutaneous or intramuscular delivery of low-viscosity drugs is needed, N-FIS performs with precision.”

Dr Lalit adds that its value extends to fertility treatments and other therapies requiring regular injections. By removing the psychological barrier, care becomes “more consistent and far less stressful for patients of all ages.” Demand, he notes, is now often patient-led, with families arriving already asking for the needle-free option.

A parent’s view from the waiting room

For Samreen in Pune, vaccination day used to mean a knot in the stomach.

“It wasn’t just the pain but the build-up, the fear, and the stress around the entire experience.”

Her first needle-free visit upended that script. “It was an entirely unexpected experience, in the best possible way.” The entire procedure was over in seconds: no flinch, no fear, no visible discomfort. There was no soreness, redness or swelling afterwards. “My child returned to normal play immediately.”

Would she choose the method again? “Yes, this wouldn’t even be a second thought.” For her, the emotional tension around hospital visits has changed. Her message to other parents is clear: “For children with needle phobia, for families managing chronic illnesses that require regular injections, and for every caregiver who has had to comfort a crying child, N-FIS offers real hope.”

From pilot rooms to public health

Since its retail launch in April 2024, N-FIS has been used in more than 50,000 administrations by over 1,100 doctors. As of August 2025, it is present in 25 states and 180 cities across India, with adoption in hospitals, paediatric centres, and specialty clinics.

The footprint is spreading beyond metros. Tier 2 and 3 cities are becoming important sites, where the absence of sharps disposal and simpler logistics is most valuable. Leading hospitals such as Cloudnine, Motherhood, Apollo Cradle, KEM, and Hiranandani have integrated the system. Outside India, one of Hungary’s largest paediatric hospitals has adopted the technology — a sign of reliability that crosses borders.

Training, trust and overcoming scepticism

Replacing a familiar tool requires confidence. Early on, doctors and patients needed to see the jet and feel the difference. To build trust, the team created a direct-to-doctor engagement model of workshops and hands-on demonstrations.

Dr Minol found the learning curve short: “The device itself is intuitive and user-friendly.” 

Dr Lalit agrees: “The support and training provided by IntegriMedical made adapting to the device very smooth. Loading time is almost the same as with traditional syringes.” Both highlight the added relief of eliminating needle-stick injuries and sharps disposal.

Partnerships that broaden access

Reaching the public health frontline is the ultimate test. The partnership with the Serum Institute of India (SII), which now holds a 20 percent stake in IntegriMedical, has positioned the technology for wider rollout. As the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, SII brings both scale and credibility.

Pilot projects are already underway. A cervical cancer vaccination camp in Agra delivered HPV protection needle-free, with visible relief among children, parents, and staff. For clinicians, it made a high-volume day smoother and safer.

When the technology becomes a story people tell

The clearest measure of trust is what people say when they leave. Sarvesh recalls a girl whose parents told the team: “It was like magic. She usually gets terrified at the sight of a needle, but this time, she just slept through it.”

For Dr Minol, a boy with severe needle phobia walked out saying, “That didn’t even feel like anything.” For Dr Lalit, word of mouth has become a driver of change. Families now arrive already asking for the needle-free option.

These stories are not decoration. They show how innovation succeeds when it solves human problems as much as technical ones.

What this could mean over the next decade

Sarvesh’s long view is simple: he wants injections without needles to become ordinary. He envisions the method being as familiar in a government primary health centre as in a private clinic. He sees a future where ASHA workers, nurses, and caregivers use it confidently, free from needle-stick injuries and the burden of medical waste.

“Ten years from now, people across India will get vaccinated or treated without a second thought because it’s safe, simple, and fear-free.”

For doctors, that future looks practical and compassionate. For parents, it looks calm. For public health, it means higher compliance, safer clinics, and fewer barriers to care.

And for the child in the chair, it looks like a soft click — and no sting at all.

Edited by Vidya Gowri Venkatesh