HemoSonics Release: Faster Decisions at the Cutting Edge
The Point-of-Care (POC) analyzer is being designed to test the four treatable systems that control clotting: platelets, coagulation factors, fibrinogen and fibrinolytic proteins. Disruption or imbalance of these systems causes life-threatening bleeding and blood clots, which can result in heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism and hemorrhage. These conditions are responsible for 30% of deaths in the developed world. The HemoSonics technology is intended to rapidly diagnose these disruptions for physicians to implement life-saving therapy.
“After a highly competitive search, we chose Cambridge Consultants due to its proven expertise and track record in the medical technology and surgical space,” said William Walker, President of HemoSonics. “We are excited to work collaboratively through the commercialization process to take this important product to market. Most people don’t realize that bleeding and blood clots are the main causes of death in the developed world. This diagnostic instrument is being designed to provide information rapidly to physicians to allow them to reduce complications for the patient, and, in turn, save lives and lower healthcare costs.”
Cambridge Consultants will use its expertise in diagnostic product development, electronics, industrial design, human factors, software engineering and microfluidics – as well as its development experience in highly regulated environments – to help HemoSonics navigate the stages of development to get the innovative instrument ready for large-scale clinical use.
The new device is being developed for its first application in open-heart surgery, where up to 25% of patients suffer from excessive bleeding. Today, doctors have two unattractive treatment options. First, they can send blood to a lab to perform an array of tests and wait for results in the operating room – a process that is unacceptably slow and is therefore rarely used. Alternatively, they can make a best guess, without hard data, to guide treatment. This process has been shown to waste blood products, increase costs, and worsen patient outcomes. The HemoSonics POC analyzer is being designed to-be-easy to use, and to rapidly provide straightforward data to physicians.
“Holding up an operating room while waiting for lab results is both expensive and risky,” said David Chastain, program manager in the Medical Technology division of Cambridge Consultants. “We are pleased to work with HemoSonics on this device that is being designed to deliver fast and accurate information that is critical in surgery – when the longer a patient is under anesthesia, the greater the risk. This project is particularly exciting as it will use so many areas of our expertise and we believe, once it is fully commercialized, it could become the standard blood coagulation diagnostic tool for hospitals around the world.”
Cambridge Consultants develops breakthrough products, creates and licenses intellectual property, and provides business consultancy in technology critical issues for clients worldwide. For 50 years, the company has been helping its clients turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether they are launching first-to-market products, entering new markets or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies. With a team of more than 360 staff, including scientists, mathematicians, engineers and designers, in offices in Cambridge (UK) and Boston (USA), Cambridge Consultants offers solutions across a diverse range of industries including medical technology, industrial and consumer products, transport, energy, cleantech and wireless communications. For more information visit: www.CambridgeConsultants.com
Cambridge Consultants is part of Altran, a global leader in innovation and high-tech engineering consulting which supports companies in the creation and development of their new products and services. With a global network of 17,000 collaborators (including 15,000 consultants) throughout more than 20 countries, and 500 major clients, the Group reported sales of €1,420m in 2011. For more information visit: www.altran.com
HemoSonics is a medical device company founded to transform medical practice by replacing guesswork with data to manage bleeding and clotting. The company’s mission is to save lives and improve quality of life while reducing healthcare costs through the application of its products in all clinical settings. HemoSonics is currently developing an innovative diagnostic platform to identify coagulation dysfunctions at the point of care, and provide information to physicians to implement potentially life-saving treatment. For more information visit: http://hemosonics.com
POC Analyzer Regulatory Status: this device has not yet been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration or other regulatory authorities for commercial distribution for clinical use. Therefore, the HemoSonics POC analyzer is currently available only for research or investigational use.