Encircle Medical Devices

Textiles are commodity products, How do you add value and innovate with new textiles to create a high growth product with global potential?

Team

Blythe Rees-Jones
Stewart Collie
Timothy Allan
Kylie Baker
Rogier Simons
Dr. Justin Roake
Dr. Richard Beasley
Andy Wynne
Marie Snell
Eduardo Izurieta

Services

Contact

Blythe Rees-Jones

Client Sector

News

We identified an opportunity in the medical market to create innovative next to skin applications for The Merino Company's specialist capability merino and performance textiles.

The medical compression market exceeds $2billion USD and has had a healthy growth rate. The compression therapy is a preventative treatment for sufferers of chronic venous disease (CVD) which affects half of all people over the age of 45.

Encircles first product line has 5 key features which differentiate it from global competitors, including a highly innovative bi-component fabric construction. A robust intellectual property portfolio has been developed to enable effective commercialisation and downstream licensing of the product system globally. Encircle has been recognised as a highly innovative business proposition with huge potential, reaching the Focus on Health final 20 from 104 participants. Locus delivered an advanced pitch to US Medical and Investment specialists to assist with investment procurement.

Locus Research have developed, directed and managed the R&D programme from inception through commercialisation including the development of detailed financial forecasts. This has include the development of 'Encircle Medical Devices'(EMD) a stand alone entity for the commercialisation of the resultant technology.

Website: Encircle Medical Devices http://encirclemedical.com .

The Encircle Product System

Encircle is the first ‘natural’ two layer graduated compression system that delivers preventative treatment to those that suffer venous insufficiency. Encircle therapy consists of five novel attributes (refer to Table 1) that significantly advance patient care and have the potential to create a new product category in the global compression market.

The Five Novel Attributes

An innovative bi-component fabric: that both absorbs and wicks moisture away from the skin creating an effective micro environment for healing and comfort in use;
A two layer system: that effectively utilises the bi-component material to manage the build up of moisture, and to ‘build up’ the level of compression, making application easier;
An improved method of application: that allows the end user to put on and take off the compression garment as prescribed, without clinical assistance;
Pressure release: that aids conformance by allowing the patient to release some pressure without taking the garment off, still retaining a moderate level of pressure through the provision of a ‘bridge’; compression;
A method of specification linked to the garment: that makes prescription easier and more accurate, ensuring correct sizing and delivering the intended compression level.

Documents

Compression Research
This booklet summarises of the foundation research in the 'PDS' phase. It falls into four categories: Understanding Compression, Consumer Research, Product Benchmarking, and Benefits of Merino.
Product Description Sheet
Two page description of the product and process.
The Pathology of Venous Disease
Outlines the pathology of Chronic Venous Disease (CVD) suffered by 1 in 2 people over the age of 45.
Advances in Therapy Paper

Encircle Medical Devices