Project description
Safe laser device kills bacterial biofilms in chronic wounds
There are no current methods to eradicate the bacterial biofilms that form in chronic wounds, preventing faster healing for an estimated 10 million people in Europe and 6.4 million in the US. The LASER-HEAL project addresses this lack through a device that reaches deep within wounds and includes software that recognises wound terrain and helps position a laser accurately. This non-invasive technology uses a dozen half-hour treatments at EUR 1 000 per treatment, and it does not destroy skin cells. The aim is to build a clientele first through US clinics, prior to expanding to Europe and globally.
Objective
Chronic wounds affect 10M in Europe and 6.4 million people in the US, with annual costs of >€72Bn in Europe and >€22 Bn in the US. It is a silent epidemic. Key to this problem is the lack of truly effective solutions that fully eradicate bacteria-protecting biofilms deep within chronic wounds.
We have a game-changing new solution to tackle this problem: LASER-HEAL. LASER-HEAL is a medical device that consists of 1) a laser-generating unit that can reach deep within wounds; 2) optomechatronics to move the laser in a controlled manner and 3) software to recognize the contours and depth of wounds. LASER-HEAL enables, for the first time, non-invasive, safe, low-cost (€1.000 p/treatment), rapid (30 mins/session, total ~12) treatment, compatible with standard of care. We have preliminary data showing killing of all relevant species of bacteria, while human skin cells are left intact.
We will bring LASER-HEAL to the global wound care management market (€29bn in 2017 expected to reach €39bn by 2024). We will respond to the need of this market by delivering an effective antibiofilm device for chronic wounds. We will commercialize LASER-HEAL through sales to US clinics first, through fast FDA approval and confirm willingness to pay. By 2025, we will demonstrate revenue potential for LASER-HEAL, and seek a commercial exit, through acquisition (preferred) by a major medical device company, who will then bring LASER-HEAL to the European and global markets. Cumulative income of €75 million is predicted for LASER-HEAL by 2025 during this phase.
We have a unique proposition, backed by preliminary results and the interest of a major wound care company (confidential for this abstract). We want to undertake a detailed study to map successful market introduction for LASER-HEAL. Funding from SMEi Phase can support us with obtaining crucial market, regulatory and de-risked development informa
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftware
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug resistance
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsantibiotics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
VANLOSE
Denmark
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.