Twist and Drink

The product stores a liquid and a powder separated by a strong piece of cellophane connected to an external operating ring; the internal mechanism keeps the different compartments separate until a simple twist opens the internal septum to allow the two elements to mix. The revolutionary 'Recotec' (reconstitution technology) device was invented and developed by a team of scientists led by biochemist Prof. Michael Inbar of M.L.I.S. Projects Ltd. in Tel Aviv, and has earned no less than twelve worldwide patents to protect the technology involved.

Experimental local marketing of a "Twist 'N Feed" baby bottle containing dry formula and sterilized water will soon begin. The product is aimed not only at hospital neonatal and pediatric wards, but also at parents wishing to take advantage of the ready-to-eat baby formula that can be used anywhere without fuss or even the need to warm it. "Babies are happy to drink the formula at room temperature," says Prof. Francis B. Mimouni, who served as the adviser for development of the product

Mimouni is a neonatologist at the Sourasky Medical Center's Lis Maternity Hospital in Tel Aviv. "Incredibly," he explains, "more money and effort were invested in designing the machine that manufactures the plastic tubes than in the actual product itself." "

The tubes containing powders and sterilized, distilled or demineralized water will be manufactured by M.L.I.S., but much of the company's market will involve the sale of the machinery that produces the tubes, says Inbar. If companies who wish to use the design manufacture the tubes themselves before distributing their product, they will save a lot of money on shipment costs.

Mimouni and Inbar revealed the new technology for the first time in a recent article published by the Israel Medical Association Journal. "There is nothing like this in the world; our patent lawyers in the U.S. checked this very carefully," Mimouni says.

"We know that breast milk is by far more healthy for babies than formula, but in hospital, this is not always possible. While some hospitals have to sterilize conventional bottles and fill them with water and powdered formulas, some use ready-made liquid formula that contains preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizing agents and other additives. Our product makes all this unnecessary."

Mimouni adds that before the liquid and powder mix, the product has a shelf life of two-and-a-half to five years. The convenience of Twist 'N Feed bottles during travel is clear, but even if parents prefer to use them all the time, it will cost them less than twice the price of ordinary formula and bottles, without the mess, danger of contamination or burns after heating, or the lack of precision. Moreover, if it is donated by the international agencies to mothers in Third World countries, such hermetically stored formula can save lives lost due to diarrheal diseases from contaminated water supplies. So far, over 7,000 of the Twist 'N Feed bottles meant for infant feeding have been tested in five different medical centers in Israel and found suitable for all powdered formulas manufactured worldwide.

But baby formula is only the beginning, Mimouni continues. Other uses for the device could include mixing paints, juices or even chocolate milk from powder and water. More importantly, additional clinical studies are now being conducted for pharmaceuticals. Hormones, chemotherapy drugs, antibiotic suspensions, nutritional supplements for the elderly, blood products and many other pharmaceuticals that require exact measurement and mixing immediately before use can be delivered in the special tubes. Preparing liquid medications from powders and sterilized water is a time-consuming task requiring much accuracy. This device will save hospital pharmacists valuable time by producing it in the exact proportions, quickly and efficiently, for immediate use by the patient.