In 1993, Alice Dicks invented a small hand-held device called a Med Search Hand Guard (also known as the Hemosheild) that today protects health care workers from the dangers of disease transmission during blood exams. The clear plastic device holds three vials of blood while a technician inserts a needle into each vial. If the needle misses the vial opening, it slides along the Hand Guard and rests against the raised edge. Risk of pricking the hand with the needle and exposing the technician to viruses such as HIV is greatly reduced.

In the late 80's, health-care workers were coming to grips with the danger of HIV and AIDS.
At the time, Alice Dicks worked as a blood collection nurse for The Canadian Red Cross Society in Grand Falls, NFLD. Part of her job required that she transfer donor blood from the main pack in which it was collected into vacutainers (test tubes) for testing.

It was difficult to hit the target on the vacutainer's rubber top with the needle and occasionally nurses accidentally stabbed their hands; Alice once was distracted by a noise across the room and pricked herself with a 16 gauge needle. A search by Alice for a product to protect herself revealed that such a product didn't exist. "It seemed like a pretty simple thing to come up with if you put your head to it." Alice made the first prototype out of a plastic bleach bottle bottom. In the centre of the circle she made three holes which securely held three vacutainers (test tubes). She could hold onto the vacutainers with her hand, with the round guard acting as a barrier.

When she took her prototype to work, the other nurses encouraged her to make more. They wanted the protective device as well! The prototype, however, had limitations which had to be overcome. First of all, to be effective and as accident-free as possible the device needed to be transparent so the user could see how much blood was going into the vacutainers (test tubes). As well, the device required a rim to catch stray needles that skidded across the plastic surface. With the assistance of a small local company, a new version with a rim was created out of clear Plexiglas.

Today, the Med Search Hand Guard is used across Canada and throughout the United States. Though the Med Search Hand Guard cost Alice around $60,000 to develop, she has yet to become a millionaire from her invention. Why? Because the Med Search Hand Guard is a durable product that can be re-used. "I felt there was enough throwaway plastic in the environment, but if the shield had been disposable I would have made more money. I think if you have another reason for developing something – a reason beyond money, then that will drive you."

As a result of Alice Dick's invention, the number of incidence of needle-stick injuries has dropped dramatically.

About the Inventor

Alice Dicks was born in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland in 1938. A nurse by profession, she worked for The Canadian Red Cross Society where she was instrumental in setting up mini blood collection centres and mobile clinics that were the first in the province to go into secondary areas.

Inventing the Med Search Hand Guard was a very satisfying experience for Alice. As the saying goes "Necessity is the mother of invention." This is particularly true of Alice who saw a problem within her work place that needed a solution. In her new role as an inventor, everything was unfamiliar and challenging: the process; the materials; marketing; and many other aspects of turning an idea into a reality. However, she was undaunted, and with the support of her husband and with some financial assistance through the Canadian National Research Council she forged ahead towards her vision.

Today Alice no longer works as a nurse. Instead, she is very busy fulfilling orders for the Med Search Hand Guard. She markets her product through blood collecting agencies, using a variety of promotional materials such as posters and brochures.

She feels tremendous satisfaction knowing that the product protects countless numbers of people who come into contact with infectious blood diseases daily – from ambulance workers to nurses.

She is married and has three children. Both her husband and her children work in the health industry. Her husband and son are pharmacists, one daughter is a coronary care nurse and her other daughter is a health care professional.