From providing better outcomes for kidney failure patients to improving wound treatment and addressing blood shortages, life-saving innovation is at the heart of medical device companies in Maryland. Three of those companies, Relavo, Sisu Global Health and Medcura, are among Maryland’s Future 20 companies, announced in November. Below, we highlight the significant challenges these companies are solving through their innovation.
Relavo enables safer in-home dialysis treatment
The challenge: Traditionally, patients suffering kidney failure have two options for treatment. They can receive dialysis treatment in a center, which requires 15-20 hours per week receiving treatment outside of the home. In-home dialysis is an option for some, and offers more freedom, better patient outcomes and higher patient satisfaction, but has risks. Fewer than 10 percent of patients receive in-home treatment, because of the risk of associated peritonitis, occurring in more than 30 percent of patients each year.
Relavo’s solution: Seeing the need for a more efficient and safer way to receive dialysis treatment, a team of undergraduate biomedical engineering students at Johns Hopkins University developed a self-disinfecting connection device, called PeritoneX, which prevents infection and enables patients to receive safer care. The student founders formed Relavo to help bring their innovation to life. As a result of Relavo’s innovation, more patients will be able to experience the benefits of in-home treatment and dialysis clinics will reduce infection expenditures.
