TuCann Medical, a medtech start up project of the Monash Young Medtech Innovators, is one of thirteen companies across Australia, Singapore and India to be recently accepted into the Medtech Actuator’s 15-month accelerator program.
Working with start-up companies in prototype stage, this program accelerates technology development, helps build team capability and provides a pathway to access investment dollars along the product commercialisation journey, helping to de-risk start-ups in the process.
TuCann Medical, formerly known as Project Mosquito, is dedicated to developing a cannula that reduces the rates of cannula-associated blood stream infections.
Currently cannula insertion requires up to 15 steps, with healthcare workers needing to establish a sterile field whilst trying to assemble different components together, making the risk of infection likely.
This project is working towards a reduction on the reliance on a sterile field, lessening the steps of cannulation and therefore decreasing the risk of infection, making the procedure safe and more effective.
Project Lead, Dr Maryam Soomro said this much needed support received from Medtech Actuator will go a long way to improving and saving lives.
“Two out of three people in hospital require a cannula with 1.8 billion used worldwide every year,” said Dr Soomro.
“11 per cent of these cannulas will get infected causing bacteria to enter the bloodstream making it a bigger problem than breast cancer, prostate cancer and AIDS combined.
“Our aim is to offer an alternative to what is currently in use, to significantly reduce hospital infections, offer faster cannulation administration, as well as less packaging.
“Thanks to this program we will be able to achieve more in the next 15 months than what would typically take us three of more years to do.
“Our focus will be to develop our technology and reach the milestone of being FDA-approval ready with the accelerator. We also want to maximise our commercialisation strategy so that our cannula reaches and protects as many healthcare workers and patients as possible,” said Dr Soomro
The Accelerator program will run from 6 July 2020 to 30 September 2021.
Monash Partners Academic Health Science Centre is a proud supporter and co-funder of Monash Young Medtech Innovators.
