Medical device firm secures rights for two anaesthesia products

A medical device developer has secured the exclusive rights to design, develop, manufacture and sell two products in the field of anaesthesia.

Medovate will work on the Regional Anaesthesia Device (RADS) developed with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and the Safer Injection for Regional Anaesthesia (SAFIRA) developed with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn Foundation Trust.

The products are the first to be added to Medovate’s portfolio, which was launched by NHS innovation hub Health Enterprise East in February 2018, and it can take the products through the phases of design & development, regulatory approval and clinical trial to market launch.

Stuart Thomson, managing director of Medovate, said: “There are approximately 6 million regional block procedures carried out in the EU and US each year. Injection above the published safe pressure threshold can lead to serious nerve damage in up to 1% of cases and transient nerve damage in up to 5% cases, so this is a major problem. There are also broader repercussions including financial compensation claims, increased anaesthetist and care provider anxiety and importantly, a rise in patient re-admission. RADS and SAFIRA together can tackle all these problems and help ensure that complications from nerve damage finally become a thing of the past.”

RADS and SAFIRA are complementary local anaesthesia products designed to ensure that regional blocks are delivered within safe pressure limits. RADS is a portable product that can be used by one operator, while SAFIRA provides an end-to-end safety solution and gives anaesthetists enhanced data monitoring, recording the entire procedure with precise readings on time, pressure and volume.

Anne Blackwood, CEO of Health Enterprise East, added: “RADS and SAFIRA are fantastic examples of the many innovative ideas being developed by NHS staff in hospitals all around the UK. We are proud to have been involved in the formation of Medovate and their technical and commercial expertise will help to fast-track innovations of this kind. We look forward to seeing both patients and clinicians reaping the benefits once RADS and SAFIRA come to market.”