Luer has been the main small-bore connector in the field of medical devices for years and with several applications. Luer connections were primarily a convenience when performing injections and did not provide any safety measures to prevent potential errors.

Medication administration errors can cause catastrophic events, especially if a drug is inadvertently administered by the wrong route. Regional anesthesia involves the use of drugs such as local anesthetics and adjuvants, which can lead to serious effects as local anesthetic systemic toxicity, cardiac arrest, and anaphylaxis. Similarly, there have been cases where drugs intended for systemic use were accidentally injected into the neuraxial space, leading to severe events, including death. Literature lists many of such incidents and highlights their severity.
In 2016, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) introduced the use of 80369 series of connectors, known as Neuraxial and Regional block Fit (NRFit) connectors, dedicated to neuraxial space injections and peripheral nerve blocks.

The NRFit connector is 3 mm longer than the standard Luer connector. The connector’s diameter is 20% smaller, the syringes are equipped with a collar marked NRFit, and it is color-coded (yellow) for easy identification. NRFit connectors are designed to avoid the risk of incorrect connections, improving patient safety by preventing the accidental delivery of fluids or gases.

Adriamed has introduced under MDR the new Easyflow NF product family, consisting of the Easyflow elastomeric pump featuring an Neuraxial Fit (NRFIT) connector. The Easyflow NF (Neuraxial Fit) pumps are specifically designed to be used in pain management procedures, as their NRFit® male connector fit with catheters or cannulas featuring NRFit® female connectors only. This prevents the risk of administering regional anesthesia drugs by any “wrong routes”.