Background
Nil Medical began developing its product 2011, initiated by Martin Hanberger, an industrial design master’s student, in collaboration with the pediatric oncology department at Norrlands University Hospital. Patients, families, and healthcare professionals contributed to the project, funded by the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation, Region Västerbotten, and the Swedish Innovation Agency, Vinnova.
Approach
In pediatric oncology, IV therapy for new treatments can last up to a month. Children typically receive chemotherapy followed by IV flushing, with a treatment cycle lasting about a week. Although these children undergo tough treatment, they often are surprisingly lively and want to play as usual. However – being connected to IV-poles limits their ability to free play and creates risks for accidents.
Solution
- The Nil Medical Vestpack, CE marked for use with pumps and IV-solutions, increases mobility and safety, enabling children to live more normally despite health challenges.
- It allows true child-centric care within hospitals and treatment outside the hospital, offering economic benefits, and reducing the need for hospital stays. A day in a pediatric oncology ward costs 15,000 SEK, and the vest can save at least 10,000 SEK per treatment day.
- Inspired by a young user’s wish for it to feel like “nothing,” the vest uses padded materials and smart security solutions to protect the infusion system. It has an ergonomic, snug fit to distribute weight and minimize pressure on the access point.
Market and Potential
The primary patients are children with cancer between 2-7 years – but around 50% of children 2-7 years under care in hospitals for various conditions have IV-solutions during treatment and many of them could also benefit from using Vestpack.
In Sweden, approximately 1,000 children receive related fluid treatment annually, with a broader group totaling about 5,000 annually. The primary target group in Europe and the USA is about 56,000 children annually.
Today
- The Vestpack is a CE-marked, MDR class 1 product.
- A pilot study in the pediatric oncology department at Umeå University Hospital has shown positive results. The study is ongoing in Umeå, Uppsala, Linköping, and Gothenburg, with Karolinska and Lund starting soon.
- Feedback from patients, guardians, and healthcare providers has been overwhelmingly positive.
