The quicker a vaccine is administered to infants, the better, for the parents and patients alike.
A leading vaccine supplier approached Sanner to design and develop a device that enabled faster nasal administration for their vaccine, reducing user steps, to get the right dose for the child.
Sanner was selected to support the entire project lifecycle, including acting as the legal manufacturer of the spray nozzle. What followed was a fully integrated journey from device concept and design through to injection moulded tooling and proof-of-concept production at our manufacturing site in Bensheim, Germany.
Designing for Infant Safety and Parental Confidence
Administering vaccines to infants can be stressful – not only for the child, but also for parents and healthcare professionals. The device itself plays a critical role in shaping that experience.
Our development team focused on creating a novel spray nozzle that would:
- Reduce operator steps during administration
- Shorten the time required to deliver the vaccine
- Minimise distress for infants and their parents
- Lower environmental impact through optimised material and process design
Every design decision was guided by usability, safety, and efficiency. By simplifying the handling process, we reduced the potential for use error while improving the overall vaccination experience.
Engineering a Novel Spray Nozzle
The core of the project was the development of an innovative nasal spray nozzle engineered specifically for infant use. The design required:
- Precise spray performance
- Tight dimensional tolerances
- Reliable dose delivery
- Compatibility with high-volume vaccine production
- Compliance with medical device regulations
Because Sanner was able to serve as both development partner and Legal Manufacturer, regulatory and quality considerations were embedded into the process from day one.
Figure 1: Examples of a spray nozzle in use
From Concept to Injection Mould Tooling
A key strength of this project was our ability to move seamlessly from design into tooling and prototyping within our own manufacturing infrastructure.
Proof of concept was achieved on the first pass – a significant milestone made possible by:
- Early design-for-manufacture collaboration
- Close alignment between engineering and tooling teams
- Expert management of injection mould tools by our Bensheim facility
- Deep experience in precision moulded medical components
By managing injection mould tooling in-house, we ensured strict quality control, rapid iteration where needed, and optimised tool performance for the tight tolerances required to deliver the performance our client demanded.
A Platform for the Future
Beyond this specific vaccine, the spray nozzle has been developed as a platform solution. Its design enables potential application across multiple vaccines and other medicines delivered nasally.
By combining thoughtful device design with advanced injection moulding expertise, we have created a scalable solution that extends well beyond a single product.
Integrated Development, Proven Manufacturing.
With our manufacturing site in Bensheim, Germany, managing injection mould tools and precision production, we provide customers with:
- End-to-end development support
- Regulatory-ready manufacturing processes
- High-quality moulded medical components
- Faster time to market
In healthcare, every detail matters. By uniting design, engineering, and manufacturing under one roof, we help bring safer, more effective medical devices to patients. Get in touch to find out how we can help.
