HEALTH TECHNOLOGY

OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network advances technologies to address pressing challenges in the healthcare system

OBIO | October 25, 2021

As Canada’s healthcare system continues to be impacted by the added burden of COVID-19, the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is prioritizing the evaluation of new technologies through their Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™) to provide solutions.

Through the EAHN, OBIO facilitated a partnership between Bruyère, an EAHN member located in Ottawa, and Able Innovations Inc., a Canadian medical technology company, to evaluate Able’s automated patient transfer system – the ALTA Platform™.“OBIO recognizes the urgency of addressing challenges that the healthcare system is currently facing, and the need for advancing technology evaluations to provide meaningful solutions,” says Gail Garland, President and CEO of OBIO. “The EAHN was developed to evaluate and scale cutting-edge technologies that improve patient care while providing solutions to issues in the healthcare system that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, such as busy hospitals, staff burnout and shortages.”

The ALTA Platform solves what is a highly labor-intensive and repetitive task for hospital staff by enabling a single operator to perform patient lateral bed transfers, which will eliminate the source of numerous injuries, while creating a more dignified care experience for patients and care providers.

“The pandemic has really impacted hospitals and the entire healthcare system, and we see that technological advancements such as the ALTA Platform can help to address some of the increasing challenges we’re facing. We are happy to partner with Able Innovations to evaluate the ALTA Platform. We believe that with this type of technology we can improve the patient experience, reduce injury for our teams, and create more time in the day for our staff to focus on other aspects of patient care.”

Paula Doering, Senior Vice-President, Clinical Programs, Chief Nursing Executive and Allied Health Professionals

The successful evaluation at Bruyère Hospital of the ALTA Platform will help accelerate technology uptake in healthcare settings – that’s why OBIO is expediting an EAHN Committee to review the evaluation findings and determine the value of innovative patient bed transfer technologies for all stakeholders, as well as to advance system-wide adoption and dissemination.

“It is our mission to make care-giving sustainable through technology. In Bruyère and OBIO we have found partners that share our values,” says Jayiesh Singh, CEO of Able Innovations. “We are excited for our partnership with Bruyère hospital and OBIO to serve as a launchpad for making our technology available to providers and patients across Canada and globally at a time it is needed the most.”

About OBIO
OBIO®, founded in 2009, is a not-for-profit, membership-based innovation organization engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. OBIO advances this goal through collaborative partnerships with industry, the investment community, academia, the health system and government.

About Able Innovations Inc.
Able Innovations Inc. is solving the painful and labor-intensive process of patient transfers by developing technology that enables effortless, hands-free, safe and dignified transfers. Their ALTA Platform™, is capable of automated transfers of supine individuals who need to be moved laterally (ex. Bed to stretcher, imaging table) in healthcare facilities.

About Bruyère Hospital
Through the people it serves, the specialized care it provides and the research it conducts, Bruyère plays a critical role in the Ottawa region’s health care system. It offers a wide range of services in the community, from hospital programs to long term and primary care, and supportive and independent living for seniors and vulnerable populations. In addition, Bruyère is transforming care through strengths in research, education, collaboration, and innovation.

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FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE, MEDICAL DEVICES

Catalyst Solutions Announces Third-Party Administration White Paper Publication

Catalyst Solutions | December 22, 2022

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DIGITAL HEALTHCARE, MEDICAL DEVICES

Sharps Technology Begins Manufacturing at its Hungary Facility for the Company's Innovative Syringe Products

Sharps Technology Inc | December 21, 2022

Sharps Technology, Inc. an innovative medical device and drug delivery Company offering patented, best-in-class syringe products, announces they have commenced manufacturing of their much-needed ultra-low waste smart safety syringe products in their European operation in Hungary. The plant has been producing products and will begin shipments to support the distribution and sales agreement with Nephron Pharmaceuticals by the end of the year, and customer agreements in Europe in early 2023. The production of these specialty syringe products will ramp up over the next several months to increase supply. Sharps innovative syringe designs provide a beneficial set of features and advantages for the healthcare industry. These syringe product features include a combination of ultra-low waste, passive and active safety, and reuse prevention. By combining all these features and building them into a portfolio of syringe offerings, it will create product platforms that can help drive down the cost of healthcare treatments. “This is a transformative point for our company as we move from a pre-revenue research & development start-up to a true manufacturing company that should generate revenue in the first half of 2023. Today’s healthcare providers are responsible for managing their supply chains and driving down their total cost of ownership (TCO) for medical treatments. Sharps Technology will be able to offer products that can directly support those programs. At Sharps Technology, we feel that by using better drug delivery technology, we can help create additional medical treatments at no additional cost for patients that need them." Robert Hayes, Sharps Technology CEO "We look forward to a bright future at Sharps Technology," concluded Mr. Hayes. "The recently signed distribution agreement with Nephron Pharmaceuticals accelerates the sales plan for our innovative syringe products that are currently being produced in the Sharps plant in Hungary. The ability to pull forward our sales plan for customers in the US will create a unique opportunity for early revenue at Sharps. We expect to have our first products available for sale in the US by the end of January 2023, with additional products to be added to the distribution network by mid-year of 2023." When healthcare providers use ultra-low waste syringes with multi-dose vials, it allows for the availability of up to 20% to 40% more medication for patients that need the treatment. This medication availability is created by using more efficient syringes designated as low-waste and ultra-low waste products, and not trapping medication within the syringe after the dose is given. The use of standard syringes that are not designated as low waste or ultra-low waste products typically creates a dead space area within the syringe where excess medication is trapped and cannot be used. This dead space then causes the healthcare provider to throw away the unused medication. The trapped medication in the dead space of a standard syringe can waste as much as 100 microliters of medication or more. The Pharmaceutical companies that fill their medication into vials understand this and must then overfill the vial with drug therapy to compensate for the problem. As the costs for medication and medical treatments rise, the discarded medication can cost the industry millions of dollars, or more, globally. The purchase of the European facility was finalized in the summer of 2022 and Sharps has invested in infrastructure and equipment upgrades to prepare the plant for a full manufacturing schedule. Syringe products produced by Sharps comply with all applicable FDA and ISO requirements and have been awarded the European Union’s CE Mark. The Sharps Hungary team, led by General Manager Filippo Filippi, brings together a dedicated and knowledgeable manufacturing force, with more than 20 years of experience in supplying the world with high quality, innovative syringe products. Prior to the GM position, Filippi’s career spanned years of building, managing, and supporting multiple manufacturing sites across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Hungary plant is vertically integrated in that it has the capability to manufacture the syringe components by injection molding, assemble the devices on automated lines or by manual assembly if required, and to sterilize the products on-site through the Ethylene Oxide sterilization process. This last stage of the syringe manufacturing process is unique in the industry and gives Sharps an advantage in supporting shortened lead times as compared to the common need to utilize a third-party for sterilization. The plant has manufacturing capacity to supply more than 50 million units today and the facility could be expanded to produce 250 million units or more over the next couple of years. About Sharps Technology Sharps Technology is a medical device and pharmaceutical packaging company specializing in the development and manufacturing of innovative drug delivery systems. The company’s product lines focus on low waste and ultra-low waste syringe technologies that incorporate both passive and active safety features. These features protect front line healthcare workers from life-threatening needle stick injuries and protect the public from needle re-use. Sharps Technology has extensive expertise in specialized prefilled syringe systems and ready to use processing. 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