New Product Design

  • Huntleigh Diagnostics
New Product Design

Huntleigh launches new innovative treatment for lower limb wound healing.


Huntleigh, a proud member of the Arjo family, are pleased to announce the UK release of a new innovative technology designed to assist in the management of hard to heal leg ulcers. Developed at the Arjo R&D Faculty in Cardiff, the WoundExpress™ 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 venous and mixed aetiology ‘hard to heal’* wounds in some patients and heal other wounds completely in just 8 weeks of use. (Naik et al, 2019).

The ongoing treatment costs of venous leg ulcers (VLU’s) currently can be expensive, leading to large economic burdens on health services in many countries, the NHS manages an estimated 278,000 venous leg ulcers (VLUs every year of which 47% (130,660) do not heal within 12 months, costing over £1.7bn per year, (Guest et al, 2018). To help reduce this cost burden, Huntleigh Healthcare has developed a new concept in wound healing. This unique device, WoundExpress™, uses Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC) to increase blood flow around the leg ulcer.

The WoundExpress 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 WoundExpress universal garment has been designed to be placed on the thigh and not on the wound site.

Professor Keith Harding, Medical Director of the Welsh Wound Innovation Initiative, describes WoundExpress 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”.

This simple to use device is ideally suited for patients to use at home. The lightweight, portable and quiet pump allows the two hour therapy cycle to be delivered, whilst minimising disruption to 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, WoundExpress has the potential to enable wound care specialists to increase efficiencies and to reduce nursing time visits substantially.

Further information on WoundExpress can be found on www.woundexpress.com or by contacting Huntleigh on 029 2048 5885.

References:

*Hard to heal wounds as defined in:

  • EWMA hard to heal wounds a holistic approach P Vowden and C. Moffet.
  • Wounds International Hard to heal wounds made easy. P Vowden.
  • Naik G, Ivins NM, Harding KG. A prospective pilot study of thigh administered intermittent pneumatic compression in the management of hard-to-heal lower limb venous and mixed aetiology ulcers. Int Wound J. 2019;1–6.
  • Guest JF, Fuller GW, Vowden P. Venous leg ulcer management in clinical practice in the UK: costs and outcomes. Int Wound J 2018; 15:29–37.