The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has given medical technology company Recovery Force LLC a $1.8 million grant to complete development and clinically validate its Mobile Active Compressions (MAC) calf device.
The MAC is designed to prevent occurrences of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and facilitate faster patient mobility and recovery, while also collecting data for nurses and physicians. The grant follows an earlier $244,000 NIH grant which demonstrated the need for a new method to address DVT prevention and patient adherence.
DVT is a life-threatening condition that affects between 350,000 to 600,000 people annually and is associated with $6 billion in healthcare costs each year.
“The NIH award will help Recovery Force gather clinical evidence to accelerate commercialization of our groundbreaking MAC device,” said Matt Wyatt, founder and CEO of Recovery Force. “Most important, the grant will fortify our efforts to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs by bringing a completely portable product to market that’s more comfortable than and half the size of existing DVT prevention sleeves.”
HMEB readers might recall that in November 2018 Recovery Force and manufacturing giant Jabil unveiled a new e-textile solution involving shape-changing memory fibers that the companies aim to integrate into compression garments and therapeutic footwear.
Similarly, the MAC takes a new approach to DVT prevision by using mobile technology that combines breathable, lightweight fabrics in a comfortable form factor that doesn’t require bladders, pumps, cords or electrical stimulation.
The $1.8 million NIH award will let Recovery Force complete the design of its device and begin testing on patients in two major hospital systems, Eskenazi Health, a partner with Indiana University School of Medicine, and Boston-based Tufts Medical Center.
“I am excited to lead the clinical testing of this innovative device,” said Dr. Karen K. Giuliano, a nurse researcher and associate professor at Northeastern University, who is leading clinical testing at both hospitals. “While our initial testing will focus on enhancing mobility and addressing DVT risk for patients after total joint replacement, the MAC device has the potential to reduce DVT risk as well as significantly improve mobility and care for almost any patient.”