1. KCI
1.1. KCI introduces latest advancement in negative pressure wound therapy designed specifically for multiple traumatic wounds
KCI, an Acelity Company, announced the launch of the V.A.C.RX4™ Therapy System in the United States. The V.A.C.RX4™ System was initially developed at the request of the US Air Force and US Department of Defense to help military personnel treat multiple battlefield wounds with a single negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) device and was designed to meet safe‐to‐fly requirements. The device is now available to civilian health care professionals, allowing more clinicians to effectively manage multiple wounds on trauma patients.
“In trauma centers and burn units, physicians encounter patients who are suffering from multiple wounds that could benefit from negative pressure wound therapy without an effective, convenient way to do so,” said R. Andrew Eckert, President and CEO of KCI. “As an organization, we are committed to expanding the boundaries of what's possible in wound healing so that we may develop innovative new solutions for our customers, while also increasing ease of use and maintaining the highest standards of care. The V.A.C.RX4™ System is yet another example of our ability to deliver upon that commitment.”
Prior to the introduction of the V.A.C.RX4™ System, hospitals and clinicians did not have the ability to independently treat more than one wound per patient. Now, with the V.A.C.RX4™ System, its innovative multi‐channel design utilising proprietary SENSAT.R.A.C.™ Technology enables constant pressure to be delivered to multiple wounds at the same time, delivering efficiency and simplicity in the health care system for trauma and burn patients.
2. 3M
Tens of thousands of products made by global company 3M are moving towards becoming even more sustainable. At the United National Climate Change Conference (COP24), 3M is building on its legacy of sustainability leadership and announcing its first formal requirement that a Sustainability Value Commitment will be included in all new products introduced beginning in 2019.
The impact of 3M's new product requirement is global in scale: 3M launches approximately 1000 new products each year, with roughly one‐third of its revenue generated from products released in the past 5 years. Beyond 3M's own operations, a primary reason for the goal is to help customers achieve their sustainability goals. This new product goal creates even more opportunities to collaborate with customers on solutions that improve lives around the world.
Examples of 3M's Sustainability Value Commitment for new products include reusability, recyclability, energy, waste, water savings, responsible sourcing, and/or renewable materials appropriate to the specific product, from the beginning to the end of each product's lifecycle. This commitment also includes products with a core purpose of helping to solve an environmental or social challenge, such as improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving worker and patient safety in health care and industrial settings. 3M will measure the progress and impact of this commitment and report on it annually.
3M invests approximately 6% of revenue into research and development, much of it for creating new products. The new requirement will take effect in 2019 and will apply to all five of 3M's business groups: Health Care, Consumer, Electronics & Energy, Industrial and Safety, & Graphics.
3M has a long‐standing commitment to sustainability from the Pollution Prevention Pays program that began in 1975 to 3M's 2025 sustainability goals that include water, climate, and energy targets. 3M has long been a recognised leader in sustainability and has been listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 19 consecutive years.
Requiring Sustainability Value Commitments in all new products builds on 3M's history of creating products that emphasise reuse, recycling, and reduced resource use for 3M's operations and for their customers.
3. CONVATEC
ConvaTec Group Plc (“ConvaTec”), a leading global medical products and technologies company, welcomes the UK Government's support for the wound care industry as part of its Life Sciences Sector Deal and is pleased to set out its commitment to supporting the Government on the objectives it outlined.
Through the Sector Deal, ConvaTec has been working with the Association of British HealthTech Industries, Health Care Providers, and UK Academia as part of a broader consortium across the health care sector to identify ways to improve patient outcomes and maximise financial efficiency in wound care diagnosis and treatment. This includes the use of new digital clinical decision support tools to support health professionals and patients, helping to reduce variation in treatment and to ensure timely and appropriate care.
ConvaTec's contribution will be part of an investment of £10 m over 3 years in UK‐based wound R&D and academia. Global research and development is focused in our facility in Deeside, Wales, and we will partner with NHS Health Providers and UK universities to pilot improvements in patient care.
Going forward, the focus of ConvaTec's investment will be on enhancing wound provision by supporting improved diagnostics and assessment, developing validated clinical pathways, ensuring greater consistency of care, and providing accurate and timely data to help reduce overall management costs while improving clinical outcomes.
4. JOHNSON & JOHNSON
4.1. The latest AI frontier: How Neutrogena Skin360™ is revolutionising skincare
With this new, cutting‐edge tool and app, you can scan and analyse your skin in just a few minutes to get real‐time information about everything from moisture levels to the state of your pores—without having to leave the house.
That's the thinking behind the new Neutrogena Skin360™ app, which taps into dermatologist‐grade technology (think: a 30x magnification lens, LED lighting and a moisture sensor) to analyse your face, show how it's changing over time, and help ensure your beauty regimen is achieving results—all via your smartphone.
“This is the first product of its kind to offer you an at‐home lab‐like environment for assessing your skin, enabling you to actually see how it changes day in and day out,” explains Molly Garris, Senior Manager, Digital Marketing, Neutrogena, part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies.
So, instead of just hoping you have chosen the right skincare products—and eyeballing your skin to determine if they are getting the job done—the Neutrogena Skin360 software, which uses artificial intelligence (AI), will track your skin's progress over time to give you deep information about your skin's actual needs and health.
4.1.1. Expert skin analysis in just a few minutes
There are two parts to the innovation: the Neutrogena Skin360 app and a tool called the skin scanner. Neutrogena worked with technology start‐up FitSkin to create a system that can analyse several components of your skin: moisture, pores, fine lines, and wrinkles.
You slip the skin scanner over the top of your smartphone (it's currently available for iPhones, but the company is exploring Android options for a future release).
The skin scanner magnifies your phone's camera lens and then enhances the magnification with eight high‐powered LED lights. It also has a “moisture meter” in the form of a ring around the lens that reads hydration levels below the skin's surface.
You then hold the lens against different areas of your face, as instructed by the app. It captures data and high‐resolution images, which are then transmitted via Bluetooth from the skin scanner to the Neutrogena Skin360 phone app.
Using your dermatological data, the app produces an analysis of your skin and ranks it on a scale of 0 to 100, taking into consideration factors like your age and geographical location. It then further breaks down your score into these core focus areas: moisture, pores, fine lines, and wrinkles. And all of this takes just a few minutes!
A unique map of your skin
You will see a digital representation of your wrinkles overlaid on an actual picture of your skin. Neutrogena Skin360 analyses how many you have, how long and deep they are, and how much they branch off. The tool maps out your pores in a similar way.
Once you have received your stats, Neutrogena Skin360 also delivers targeted lifestyle suggestions to help you take better care of your skin. So if your assessment reveals that you have dry skin, you might see tips such as lowering your shower temperature or incorporating more moisture‐rich foods, like lettuce and melon, into your diet.
You also have the option to complete a survey about your skin concerns and lifestyle to help further ensure that tips and suggestions are highly relevant. For example, if you share that you wear makeup, the app will overlay these data with your skin analysis to deliver tips that relate to both dry skin and makeup.
The app will also recommend a personalised skincare regimen, explaining why particular products and ingredients can be effective for improving your skin. For those with dry skin, for example, the app may recommend a hyaluronic acid cream, which helps replenish moisture continuously throughout the day.
The AI way to personalise skincare
Perhaps the coolest thing about Neutrogena Skin360 is the AI factor.
For example, if the weather shifts or you start using a new product, those changes will be reflected in your Neutrogena Skin360 selfies, which the app can use to help guide you to tweak your skincare regimen based on how your skin reacts to different environments and treatments.
If you scan your skin on a regular basis, the app will also render a graphic timeline to show how your scores change and how they compare with others like you.
One possible upgrade is the ability to sync the app to your calendar for even more customised readouts based on the weather in your geographic location. Talk about the future of skincare—today.
5. MÖLNLYCKE HEALTH CARE
Mölnlycke acquires M&J Airlaid Products A/S to further strengthen its wound care capabilities.
M&J is a Danish private company and manufacturer of specialised and high‐quality absorbent air‐laid non‐woven materials. M&J's air‐laid technology is critical, along with foams and soft silicone, in Mölnlycke's wound care products. M&J's annual revenue for 2017 was EUR 10 million. The acquisition supports Mölnlycke's growth ambitions and adds critical R&D capabilities to an already‐strong product pipeline and increasingly differentiated portfolio.
In conjunction with the acquisition, M&J and its employees will be an integral part of Mölnlycke. The acquisition will improve Mölnlycke's security of supply of the air‐laid material that is essential in the production of advanced wound care dressings and will help grow the wound care business by accelerating innovation and product development in existing and future products. The parties have agreed to keep the purchase price confidential.
5.1. About Mölnlycke
Mölnlycke is a world‐leading medical solutions company. We develop and bring to market innovative wound care and surgical solutions along the entire continuum of care—from prevention to post‐acute settings. Our solutions provide value for money, supported by clinical and health economic evidence.
Mölnlycke was founded in 1849. Nowadays, our solutions are available in around 100 countries; we are the number one global provider of advanced wound care and single‐use surgical products, and we are Europe's largest provider of customised trays. Our headquarters are in Gothenburg, Sweden, and we have about 7800 employees around the world.
Int Wound J. 2019;16:313–315. 10.1111/iwj.13106