MMJ Labs was established in 2006 by pediatric emergency physician and pain researcher Amy Baxter, MD. Inspired by the need to control needle pain, Dr. Baxter set out to develop reusable, physiologic products for home and hospital. Initial R&D funded by the NIH launched the flagship product Buzzy®, a palm sized device combining cold and vibration. When placed “between the brain and the pain”, the competing stimuli can eliminate or inhibit pain.
Since the official product launch in 2009, Buzzy® has been used by over a quarter million patients. Buzzy is in over 5,000 hospitals and clinics, with 75,000 units sold. With multiple patents and FDA 510 clearances for controlling pain from IVs, blood draws and cosmetic injections, muscle injury and myofascial trigger point pain, the company has broadened the product line to include VibraCool Sport Therapy and DistrACTION®products.
Listen to this podcast as we discuss:
- How Amy was inspired by her children’s experience to invent Buzzy
- How fear of needle pain is iatrogenic
- How Amy had an “aha” inventor moment
- How Amy’s research for this product was supported by the NIH
- How she raised $1 Million for research and development
- How she came up with a prototype
- How Amy traveled to the Red Light District for a certain type of vibrating motor
- How DistrACTION cards help to reduce pain
- How to get Buzzy in your clinic or hospital
- MMJ Labs has a new product- VibraCool
- Ways to approach chronic pain with patients
- How Amy is improving the world one Buzzy at a time
Links to research mentioned by Dr. Baxter:
Baxter, Amy L., et al. “The number of injected same-day preschool vaccines relates to preadolescent needle fear and HPV uptake.” Vaccine 35.33 (2017): 4213-4219. PubMed Link
Potts, Debra Ann, et al. “A Vibrating Cold Device to Reduce Pain in the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” Pediatric emergency care (2017). PubMed Link
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