Development of a Novel Medical Device to Remove Air Bubbles from Medicines, Which Will Improve Patient Safety and Reduce Costs of IV Infusion

Project Information

Gasgon

Grant agreement ID: 887764

DOI

10.3030/887764

Project closed

EC signature date 2 December 2019

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 30 June 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

TESSEN SOLUTIONS LIMITED
Ireland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Gasgon (Development of a Novel Medical Device to Remove Air Bubbles from Medicines, Which Will Improve Patient Safety and Reduce Costs of IV Infusion)

Reporting period: 2020-01-01 to 2020-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Gasgon Medical has undertaken commercial and technical feasibility activities to determine the practical applications for its proprietary technology in the healthcare marketplace. Air bubbles are a known complication of Intravenous (IV) infusion, where drugs are delivered directly into the vein. Fluid management is cumbersome and inefficient, it has been found that healthcare costs spiral as a result of repetitive manual actions and reactive measures to deal with potential risks posed by bubbles. Through collaboration with clinicians and hospitals across Europe, we have identified Paediatrics, Cardiology, Intensive and Oncology as key areas that would benefit from our technology. In particular, occupational exposure to hazardous drugs during IV infusion of chemotherapy has been identified as a leading challenge for healthcare providers that can be readily resolved with our technology.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Gasgon Medical has positioned its initial market entry with a focus on Oncology and hazardous drug IV infusion. Nurses working on the frontline may be exposed to repeated micro doses of toxic vapours while aspirating problem bubbles from IV sets. The latest update to the European Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (CMD3) policy directs that devices are used to protect health of staff. The opportunity to improve healthcare outcomes for both the patient and care provider is significant. A business plan has been developed, with key clinical and technical partnerships created that will enable Gasgon Medical to rapidly pursue the commercial potential of its technology. Additional IP has been developed and scale up actions including team growth have been undertaken.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The key development has come from engaging customers and end-users who helped identify a pressing need with a higher value use case for our technology. By pivoting into hazardous drug segment Gasgon Medical can capture a much higher value per device based on an improved return-of-investment for hospital customers. With over 1 million hazardous drug infusions given daily, the impact of our device can be significant, both in improving healthcare outcomes and the economic benefits. Our device supports wider policy updates that aim to improve workplace protection for healthcare workers. Gasgon Medical can help the European Commission to achieve one of its key goals and scale globally to help other healthcare systems to achieve the desired standard in hazardous drug infusion safety.

Gasgon Medical logo