PLAN
THE PROBLEM
One of the largest complications of modern medical therapy is healthcare associated infections (HAIs). In 2011, the Center for Disease Control reported that the total number of HAIs in acute hospitals was at least 721,800 with 157,500 alone relating to Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) from inpatient surgery [1].
Drug-resistant bacteria are also a growing problem, as pharmaceutical-based treatment methods are becoming ineffective. In 2013 the CDC declared that we are now in the “post-antibiotic era,” and in 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the antibiotic resistance crisis is becoming dire [2].
THE OPPORTUNITY
The financial costs for HAIs are staggering. The global market for hospital acquired infections totaled $23.7 billion in 2016 and is expected to surpass $36.16 billion by 2023, growing at an annual rate of 7.3% [3]. With reduced antibiotic efficacy leading to more expensive and invasive treatments, market trends are shifting away from traditional methods and towards cutting edge technologies. Pura Medical stands at the forefront of this change with our innovative energy-based antimicrobial solutions.
THE SOLUTION
Support for energy-based anti-infective therapies is growing in the scientific and medical communities. Research has shown that specific wavelengths of blue light can inactivate diverse types of bacteria while being safe for human use [4]. Similar data has been gathered for other wavelengths. A combination of these specific light colors is customized to each application for individualized microbial inactivation.
Our proprietary approach can be tailored to illuminate some of the most problematic surgical sites and create a cleaner environment without relying on increasingly inadequate pharmaceuticals and chemicals. This simple concept using just a light source and emitter can be utilized anywhere: from metropolitan medical centers to battlefield hospitals.
APPLICATIONS
Light-based therapy can be applied to countless therapies. Just a few areas include:
Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections: About 41,000 hospital patents contract ventral line infections each year.
Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections: Nearly all healthcare-associated UTIs are related to the use of instrumentation in the urinary tract.
Ventilator-Associated Infections: Patients who have been ventilated for 48 hours or more are at high risk for developing infections and pneumonia.
Surgical Site Infections: SSIs have an attributed cost of $3.2 billion with an estimated 8,205 deaths each year [5]. As SSIs carry such alarming consequences, we chose to focus on this area first. See our product concepts here.
