IG Technology: Revolutionising Blood Clot Prevention

Specialising in the design, development and manufacture of innovative medical products that are transforming the way technology is used in the healthcare sector, IG Technology was launched in 2021 by experienced design engineer Ivan Green.

Since that time, the company has applied its expertise to combating the single largest cause of preventable hospital deaths: blood clots.

Recognising that the preventative methods used to combat blood clots had changed little during the past 30 years, IG Technology began exploring new ways of administering mechanical compression – a procedure that typically sees low compliance rates, and is impractical for use outside of a clinical setting, as Ivan Green, Chief Executive Officer, IG Technology explained:

‘Blood clots are typically treated in hospitals using compression socks, blood thinners and mechanical compression devices. Mechanical compression stimulates blood flow by applying pressure to a patient’s legs.

‘Although effective, mechanical compression is typically administered through large, cumbersome units. They are noisy and require a patient to be wired to the device, which all too often restricts movement. Moreover, these devices are only suitable for hospital use, which means 60% of blood clots occur following hospital discharge. We wanted to change that.’

The Project

IG Technology’s solution was Legacy IPC, a fully portable mechanical compression device. Smaller than a typical smartphone and completely inaudible when operational, the device uses a ceramic cell that vibrates 21,000 times per second to stimulate blood flow and prevent clots from forming. Unlike its predecessors, the device can be used outside of hospitals.

‘One of the biggest complaints we hear from nurses is that they are expected to collect and monitor large volumes of patient data. When this is automated, it can mean nurses are required to use multiple apps, which can negatively impact patient care.’

IG Technology solved this second problem by pioneering Legacy Gateway, a software solution that collects and records data from the physical Legacy IPC devices and stores information in a single location. Unlike other solutions currently on the market, the Legacy Gateway can also connect and record data from other devices, including pulse oximeters and blood pressure monitors, helping to save time and improve patient outcomes. However, IG Technology recognised that the key to the success of its work was in the way the data was presented:

‘Our Legacy IPC devices are capable of capturing large volumes of patient data; however, we also knew it needed to be presented in a user-friendly way. We are a relatively small business, with limited resources and we decided to reach out to the South Yorkshire Innovation Programme (SYIP) to see if it could help bring our work to market.’

To bring the product to market, IG Technology faced two hurdles: ensuring the physical devices complied with current safety guidelines and presenting the wealth of data the devices record in an easily accessible, user-friendly format. Having successfully developed software to collect and record data, Ivan and his team recognised that the key to harnessing information recorded would be to present information in an easily accessible way.

How SYIP Helped

Following discussions with SYIP, IG Technology secured a SYIP Deploy Grant to undertake the compliance and regulatory testing required before the Legacy Gateway device could be deployed within healthcare settings and commercialised internationally.

Through SYIP, IG Technology began working with Sheffield Hallam University’s School of Computing to further develop the Legacy Gateway portal.

‘We challenged the Sheffield Hallam team to develop a way of collating and presenting information collected from each device in a way that could improve patient outcomes.’

Impact

Following successful testing and securing regulatory approval in the US, Legacy IPC was granted a licence, enabling the product to be marketed globally. The company has successfully secured a patent for the technology it has pioneered, and the first clinical trials of both the device and the Legacy Gateway platform have been completed.

To date, more than 1000 patients have benefitted from IG Technology’s work, and since the company began working with SYIP, the company has secured FDA approval, allowing its innovative technology to be sold in the US. The product has also secured approval for use in the Middle East and has recently signed a distribution agreement for the region.

The company’s innovative work has also been recognised with a string of prestigious awards, including the MedTech Startup Award – a highly coveted accolade, presented by the Mayo Clinic, one of the world’s largest and most renowned research hospitals. Legacy IPC has also been awarded the Tech Innovation Award for two consecutive years by Vizient – the largest healthcare provider in the US.

The devices also significantly reduce the amount of single-use plastics within the design, reducing the material usage by two-thirds:

‘To put this into context, if the technology was adopted by the NHS, this would prevent over 100 tonnes of single-use plastics from ending up in landfill.’

Future Plans

IG Technology is now setting its sights on rolling out the innovative technology globally, helping to play a key role in reducing deaths caused by blood clots.

Ivan also believes that the gateway platform developed through SYIP could also be successfully adopted in many other applications, and he is hoping to continue working with universities, with further research projects planned:

‘The experience of working with the South Yorkshire Innovation Programme has been a very positive one, giving students and academics the chance to apply their research to real situations; it’s helped us to bring our solution to market much more quickly.

‘We’re now exploring ways of scaling the business further, helping more patients across the world to benefit from our work, as well as exploring other commercial applications for the gateway, including early infection detection and non-clinical applications such as air quality monitoring.’

To find out more about SYIP and how we could help your organisation innovate, please contact: innovation@shu.ac.uk.

The South Yorkshire Innovation Programme is being delivered by Sheffield Hallam University in partnership with The University of Sheffield and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and is part-funded by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.