Qimono FAQs

Yes, if you connect a Qimomale to the syringe containing the therapy and a Qimofemale to the patients VA device. This is then a Closed System and allows you to safely administer the therapy.

If you have connected Qimoconnect to a cytotoxic therapy, you should NOT unspike or respike. The bag and the Qimoconnect should be used and then disposed of as one unit.

NO! Technically it is possible, but we recommend that Qimopump is always used in conjunction with non-cytotoxic solutions and flushes such as saline and glucose. This reduces the likelihood of unspiking a bag containing a cytotoxic substance.

We have successfully tested the compatibility of Qimono with 7 aggressive drugs commonly used in the market. Therefore, we can conclude that Qimono is compatible with almost all chemotherapy drugs available today.

Nevertheless, we have not tested Qimono with Busulfan, or with every existing drug. If you have a question, please contact your Vygon representative for more information.

All parts of the Qimono system are suitable for use with Paclitaxel and other similar therapies. You can use a normal Qimoconnect with your main giving set filter line, or you can use Qimoconnect with a filter. However, you must ensure that your pump specific giving set is then compatible with Paclitaxel and similar therapies.

Qimono has not been tested with UV sensitive drugs, however hospitals using these drugs are also using Qimono on routine basis to protect their healthcare workers.

Yes, Qimofemale is designed to accept both push luer slip and luer lock syringes. As long as you are administering a non-cytotoxic therapy it is safe to use either of these in administration via the patients VA device.

The Qimono system does not have any internal pressure valves that would restrict the flow from an elastomeric pump and as such, it is safe to use. Qimono can be used with elastomeric pumps without any incidence on flow rates, however, as per ISO norm 28620, the use of a clamp is recommended.

Your pump should draw all of the therapy through to the drip chamber and subsequently the giving set. However, if you do this and there is some residual in the bag, you can add a small amount of saline (no more than 10ml) via the Qimofemale at the bag spike junction, after clamping the Qimoconnect line. This will then be pulled through by the pump, along with any remaining drug when the Qimoconnect is unclamped and the pump turned on.

There is no need to prime Qimoconnect as long as it is above the drip chamber in the giving set and pump system.

Whilst most infusions will take place without incident, they do occasionally happen. In this instance having both the Qimomale and Qimofemale allows you to disconnect and not risk spillages whilst attending to the patient. There may also be times when it is necessary for the patient to be disconnected from the infusion. To comply with good standard of practice, it is recommended to flush the patient vascular access at the end of the perfusion of chemotherapy, thus disconnecting as close as possible from patient vascular access complies with existing protocols.

If the drip chamber is not half full, it may be further emptied as the pump pulls through the small amount of air in the Qimoconnect. However, if you fill the drip chamber to at least 2/3rds full this should not be an issue.

Yes, you should still observe your trusts normal practice such as “scrub the hub” when it comes to cleaning VA connections. Both Qimofemale and Qimomale have been designed to be impervious to microbial ingress (WP5_Qimo_November2018) and have flat surfaces that are easy to clean. As per our IFU it is recommended to apply an antiseptic containing 70% IPA (isopropyl alcohol) to the membrane, in a circular motion for at least 5 seconds, then allow to dry before use.

Yes, you should still wear all of your usual PPE as per your trusts protocols. PPE is still an important part of protecting clinicians and patients from Cytotoxic substances.

Qimono is designed to be used with most pumps and giving sets. It uses luer locks on both the Qimomale and Qimofemale connections and the bag spikes will fit all common bags.

Qimomale does not come attached to the syringe as many hospitals buy in or draw up their own syringes. However, if pharmacy are willing to place a Qimomale on the end of the syringe once it contains the therapy, this is preferable to further reduce the chances of contamination on the ward and during transportation throughout the hospital.

Bags usually come from multiple suppliers so it is still necessary to spike the bag. However, if this can be done by pharmacy this further removes the chance of spillages and contamination on the ward and during transportation throughout the hospital.

You can use a Qimopump connection with either 2 or 4 ports to run multiple therapies. You can also use a single Qimopump and disconnect the Qimoconnect attached to the different bags at the correct time, following normal clamping procedures.

You do not need to flush Qimoconnect as it is connected above the drip chamber in the giving set