WHAT WENT RIGHT AT INTERLINK SURGICAL STEEL AND GILLETTE?

In the 1980s and early 1990s , Interlink sold replacement hypodermic syringes by the thousands to hospitals for 10 cents per syringe. Each time a catheter was changed, a new hypodermic syringe would be inserted into the patient’s vein. A Japanese surgical steel company entered the market with an identical product for 3 cents each. Interlink promptly introduced a replacement device that only needs insertion one time; that is, any new saline or pharmaceutical drip lines can be hooked directly to an interlink syringe device that need not be removed and replaced. This new process reduces the risk of patient infection and the inherent hazard to the nursing staff of exposure to patient blood. Interlink again dominates the market, and prices have stabilized at higher levels than before