Huntleigh has announced the UK release of an innovative technology that is designed to assist in the management of hard-to-heal leg ulcers. Developed at the Arjo R&D Faculty in Cardiff, the Wound Express Advanced Wound Therapy Device is designed to be used in conjunction with standard treatment techniques and has been shown to significantly reduce the size of both hard-to-heal wounds of venous and mixed aetiology in some patients, and other wounds completely in just eight weeks of use.
The ongoing treatment costs of venous leg ulcers are currently very expensive, creating a large economic burden for health services in many countries; the NHS, for instance, manages an estimated 278,000 venous leg ulcers every year-47% of which (130,660) do not heal within 12 months-costing over £1.7 billion. To help reduce this burden, Huntleigh has developed a new concept in wound healing. This unique device, Wound Express, uses Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC) to increase blood flow around the leg ulcer.
The Wound Express system has a specially designed three chamber garment that attaches to the pump, which has a unique, patented timing cycle that augments venous and arterial blood flow. Unlike standard treatment, the Wound Express universal garment has also been designed to be placed on the thigh and not on the wound site.
Many patients adapt their lives to accommodate a wound, which often affects their day-to-day activities. Nicky Ivins, clinical research director at the Welsh Wound Innovation Centre, spoke about how this new technology can improve patients’ quality of life: “Wound Express provides the patient an opportunity to apply additional compression with the aim of increasing the rate of healing, reducing the level of oedema and exudate, and consequently reducing the overall pain experienced in the lower leg. Importantly, patients can self-manage at a time that suits them and apply a daily therapy without being dependent on a health care provider.”
Keith Harding, medical director of the Welsh Wound Innovation Initiative, describes Wound Express as “An innovative and exciting new approach for treating patients with lower limb problems”. “It has the potential to be a real game changer in managing a difficult aspect of clinical practice,” he said.
This device is ideally suited for patients to use at home, and includes a lightweight, portable and quiet pump which allows the two-hour therapy cycle to be delivered whilst minimising disruption to a patient’s lifestyle and daily activities. Patients can therefore become more empowered in the self-management of their condition. Released to the UK market in September 2019, Wound Express has the potential to enable wound care specialists to increase efficiencies and to reduce nursing time visits substantially.
