Download Over 100 million catheters are used by hospitals each year, putting

CAMSTENT PRODUCES ‘NON-STICK’ COATING FOR CATHETERS
Innovative technology reduces the rate of hospital-acquired urinary infections
It was a ‘eureka’ moment for CamStent founder David Hampton when he realised
that a polymer, designed to prevent moss sticking to roofs, would have huge benefit
in the medical industry to stop bacteria colonising urinary catheters. His invention has
the potential to save the NHS £100 million, the cost of treating urinary infections.
Clare Twemlow, CFO at CamStent, explains: “Currently bacteria will attach to the
surface of a catheter and then spread to form a ‘biofilm’ which can lead to infection.
Our coating prevents this first step.”
CamStent's patented polymer coatings are derived from a well-characterised class of
organic compounds called resorcinarenes. The polymer prevents the formation of
biofilms, which are thin layers of microorganisms, usually protozoa and bacteria,
which aggregate on the surface of implanted medical devices. These biofilms directly
irritate the surrounding tissue and release toxins that cause inflammation and
infection.
Urinary infections such as E. coli account for around 40% of hospital-acquired
infections and catheters are the main culprits. In the UK, these infections cost an
estimated £100 million a year to treat, and they cause patients discomfort and longer
hospital stays.
One in four hospital patients require a urinary catheter and over half of adults who
have catheters fitted for over two weeks during a hospital stay will contract an
infection. It’s also a major problem in care homes, where residents may have
permanent catheters.
Clare says: “The current options for reducing infection rates include coating the
catheter with silver alloy, but this only works for about a week. It is possible to use an
antibiotic coating but, unlike our technology, this can lead to antibiotic resistant
strains emerging, so it is very rarely used.
“The principle of our non-stick surface has a huge range of potential applications.
There are other medical uses, for example on stents used to keep arteries open
following heart surgery. Orthopaedic implants can also pose an infection risk, so
there are opportunities for coating stainless steel.
“It’s not just bacteria we can prevent from sticking, but other organisms such as
algae, which can be a huge problem fouling the inside of pipes or the hulls of ships.
We’ve even been approached by scientists tracking dolphins – they don’t want
biofilms to build up on their tracking device!”
The idea for CamStent came when David Hampton, now CEO, was studying at the
Judge Business School. He attended a lecture by Professor Charles Stirling about a
polymer he was developing for the construction industry, and David suddenly
realised what a huge potential this had for the medical industry. To fulfil this potential
they founded CamStent in 2007. CamStent will enter clinical trials next year and
should have its technology on the market in 2 years.
- ENDS Company Details:
Press Information:
CamStent
Clare Twemlow
Holdsworth Associates
Rebecca Nesbit or Rachel Holdsworth
[email protected]
07752 487203
[email protected]
01954 202789
www.camstent.com
www.holdsworth-associates.co.uk