A new high-accuracy low-cost infusion pump has attracted £250,000 funding from The Capital Fund, a £50 million venture capital fund that invests in fast-growth companies in Greater London.
The patented infusion pump, known as SECTA, was designed by PDD Innovations, part of the PDD Group, an innovation consultancy that funded the development before this first round of institutional finance.
SECTA uses a rotary mechanism to achieve the continuous flow of liquids pumped through it. The new mechanism is highly accurate as it is not sensitive to pressure and temperature effects, and it is also cheaper than conventional peristaltic, syringe and diaphragm pumps because it has only one moving, disposable part.
PDD Innovations is currently developing SECTA for use in intravenous infusions (drip lines) and is conducting technical trials of a demonstrator prototype with St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London.
Paul Pankhurst, founder and chairman of PDD and CEO of PDD Innovations, said: “We are currently focusing on the IV infusions area but our SECTA pump could be used within healthcare wherever a highly accurate and reliable dosage system is required – for example, it could be used in nutrition feeding to administer exact dosages of liquid food to seriously ill patients, or to dispense bottled medicines in the home.”
Pankhurst believes that SECTA could also be customised for applications in the food and chemical industries.
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