Injecting Betaferon® with the Betaject® Comfort
What’s so new about it?
The new Betaject® Comfort is a specially designed autoinjector that closely follows the natural injection process through its new three-phase injection technology. In phase 1 the needle is inserted into the skin, phase 2 delivers the syringe contents at the right injection speed and depth, followed by phase 3 in which the needle is withdrawn gently from the skin. An acoustic signal (bell) as well as a visual signal (optical window) at the end of phase 3 indicate the completed injection process.
Partial dose deliveries of up to 1 ml allow for dose titration at the start of therapy. There is also an option to adjust the standard injection depth of 12 mm to 8 or 10 mm for a more flexible approach according to your individual requirements. Injection depth adjustment should only be done by a trained health care professional. Please contact your local Betaferon nurse for advice.
Betaject® Comfort at a glance
- Injector lid
- Lid opener button
- Optical window
- Safety lock
- Release button
- Loading lever arm
Before you start
Before you load the device, make sure the lid (1) is closed. The optical window should be red and the red safety lock (4) should be aligned with the release button.
Loading your Betaject® Comfort
Hold your Betaject® Comfort in your weaker hand, then pull the loading lever arm (6) down with your stronger hand before pulling the draw rod out fully. Upon release, the draw rod will automatically return to its original position.
Push the lid opener button (2) and pull the injector lid (1) back away from you, so that the syringe holder is clearly accessible.
Place a ready-to-use syringe with the needle cap still attached into the syringe holder, ensuring the glass body of the syringe is placed between the snap locks.
Tip: By gently pushing against the syringe with your thumb or forefinger, you can test to see if the syringe is securely locked in place.
Now close the injector lid (1). You should hear it snap into place. If the injector lid is not snapped into place, it is not possible to administer an injection.
How to self-inject
Clean your pre-chosen injection site with an alcohol pad as described in the "Manual injection" chapter and let it air-dry.
Remove the needle cap by simply pulling it off – you must not twist it. The needle cap has been specially designed to come off smoothly.
Unlock the release button (5) by pushing the red safety lock (4) towards the optical window (3).
Position your Betaject® Comfort with slight pressure on the chosen injection site at a 90° angle, and then press the release button (5) once. You do not need to keep the button depressed. Keep the Betaject® Comfort in this position for the entire duration of the injection process. Please note: this could take approximately 15 seconds.
The injection process is complete when you hear an acoustic signal (bell) and see the colour change from green to red in the optical window (3). You can now remove the autoinjector from the skin.
Post-injection process
Push the lid opener button (2) and reopen the injector lid (1).
Carefully pull the syringe out of the syringe holder, making sure it does not get stuck as this could cause the glass body to break. Using your thumb and forefinger, grip the syringe by the glass body while holding the autoinjector with your other hand.
Tip: Always check that the full dose has been delivered from the syringe. If not, inject the remaining substance manually and ask your nurse or health care professional for advice.
Do not re-attach the needle cap after injection. You might get pricked. Dispose of the syringe safely in a disposal unit.
Cleaning
Under normal conditions, your Betaject® Comfort should not need cleaning after each use. However, if drugs or sticky fluids come in contact with the autoinjector (usually because of a drop coming out of the needle after injecting), it can be cleaned by using a lukewarm dampened towel (water only, no additives). After cleaning, the autoinjector must be air-dried for two hours at room temperature.
Storage
Keep the injector lid closed when storing your Betaject® Comfort.
The autoinjector should be stored at temperatures ranging between 0 and 35°C. Keep out of the reach of children.
For safety precautions and problem-solving advice, please refer to pages 64 and 65.