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A real life ‘Micro-environment’ for healing

24/5/10

The Encircle team has just completed a very interesting electron microscopic examination of Encircles patented bi-component fabrics.
Encircles material technologies are based on leveraging the unique attributes that naturally occur in merino fibre. When ‘encircled’ in this novel way, these attributes create an effective micro-environment to buffer the micro climate of the wearer to help manage and regulate the skin and epidermis for healing. Using merino fibre next to the skin, Encircle has put a real life fibre at the core of its material technologies and by doing this Encircle has created an amazing fabric surface topography.

SEM imaging of Encircles fabric technologies; putting a real life fibre at the core

Ethics Approval and the ‘go’ for stage two clinical trials

1/5/10

Thanks to the help from the team at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ), Encircle has received ethics approval to carry out comprehensive clinical trials on the Encircle Compression Therapy system (stage two trials). These trials will measure the physiological effect Encircle graduated compression has on lower limb venous haemo-dynamics. The team is excited by the prospect of clinically measuring and proving the efficacy of the products. Early Doppler ultrasound studies have shown very promising results so this study is being conducted on a much larger scale. Participants are now being recruited by the MRINZ for the study, which is set to take place in August/September. These studies will provide robust research and evidence for clinical compliance with Medsafe and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia; helping EMD obtain pre market approval.

Levin super sock praised

06/11/09

Encircle was featured in this week's Horowhenua Mail, as reported by Faye Lougher:

A brand new health product and a training intiative drew praise for Levana Textiles during a visit by Deputy Prime Minister Bill English to Levin on Tuesday. Mr English praised the company for creating jobs and training their own workers rather than waiting for skilled workers to arrive on their doorstep.

Levana recently began a knitting school where nine Levin locals were taken off the benefit and trained up as knitting mechanics and machine operators at the factory. "It's a smart business and it's good to see Levana taking responsibility for training new staff and giving them specialised skills. They are turning people who would otherwise be on the dole into trained workers. "They are not waiting for someone to supply them with skilled workers, they are creating them themselves. We need a lot more of it," said Mr English.

Levana had also developed a range of medical compression garments, named Encircle, aimed at the elderly community and had the potential to revolutionise the medical world. Levana chief executive Andy Wynne said at present the elderly community suffering from skin issues and venous insufficiencies such as oedema, venous eczema, ulceration, and thrombosis had to see a specialist to be fitted with either a tightly applied bandage or compression socks. Levana's newly developed medical compression garment overcame the problems of patients having to present themselves at a hospital or doctor's surgery to have the bandage changed and the difficulty in changing a medical compression sock themselves. The garment was made from a double-sided technical textile engineered to provide allow blood to flow back into the limb. This made it much easier for the elderly patients to use. The pack came with one outer garment and three pairs of washable inner socks.

The compression garment had been named as one 20 to go through to round two in The New Zealand Focus on Health Challenge run by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. The own of the winning design would get the opportunity to commercialise the product in the United States. Entries in the challenge covered the full range of health-related products and services including health IT, medical devices, natural products, services such as training and support, skin care, food supplements, and pharmaceuticals. The challenge provided entrants with the opportunity to learn how to fast-track their idea, product or service to the United States; up-skill their business knowledge and get quality training, support and advice from prestigious sources; connect with international health and business professionals and mentors to enhance their chance of success faster. They would also share a prize pool valued in excess of $750,000. Levana had spent two years testing the product and patenting the technology.

Doppler Testing Complete

26/09/09

The EMD design team completes the successful testing of efficacy via Doppler ultrasound in Wellington.

The test measures the increase in blood flow with the different types and grades of compression.

Doppler image

The results indicated the Encircle treatment delivering an increase in blood flow. This is necessary for the delivery of effective compression.

This test precedes the full clinical trial which will occur early in 2010.

Focus on Health - Round 2

21/09/09

Encircle Medical Devices is selected out of 104 entries to be a semi-finalist in the NZ Focus on Health initiative. Design Director Blythe Rees-Jones will be presenting to Judges on the 7th of October via Cisco Webex to the US.