11health has announced the UK availability of the first-ever patient-developed medical technology device, Ostom-i Alert, to help the 20,000 people in the UK that undergo stoma surgery annually.
The device will address conditions resulting in stoma surgery including colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease.
The Ostom-i Alert will help patients and their families to self-manage their ostomy. The device clips to an Ostomy bag and sends data to an app that will send out a personalised alert, indicating how full the bag is, to prevent both fluid and solid leakage, so patients can decide if and when to empty them. This means patients can avoid embarrassing situations when out, or in particular when asleep. Patients can also use the device to send output levels automatically to nurses and clinicians.
Given the increasing pressures faced by healthcare systems and staff globally, I couldn’t believe there was no simple technology device to manage the accidents and embarrassment of overflowing bags for patients and save time for clinical teams while providing real-time patient data to monitor outpatient progress
The device also allows hospitals to remotely monitor the patients through a shared Cloud-based portal. This allows potential dehydration and blockage problems to be diagnosed earlier by clinicians, which could reduce both nursing time and hospital re-admission rates. Patients and clinical staff can track and share real-time patient data about the volume of output over specific time periods. This view of a patient’s day-to-day experience will help doctors adjust medication and promote healthy self-management.
Michael Seres, a long-term patient turned innovator who founded 11health, created the Ostom-i Alert device from his hospital bed after he was the 11th person in the UK to undergo a small bowel transplant in 2011. He said: “Being a patient isn’t easy, especially for those who suffer from long-term chronic bowel conditions, like myself. Given the increasing pressures faced by healthcare systems and staff globally, I couldn’t believe there was no simple technology device to manage the accidents and embarrassment of overflowing bags for patients and save time for clinical teams while providing real-time patient data to monitor outpatient progress.
“Patient self-management is a growth area as healthcare systems buckle under the weight of people living longer and rising hospital costs. With the availability of the Ostom-i Alert, bowel patients will no longer suffer from unnecessary accidents and will be able to live as normal lives as possible. The device, developed by patients for patients, sends information to health professionals to simplify patient monitoring, and we estimate it can save 33% of current NHS stoma care costs.”
Michael has created something that should become standard issue for every ostomy patient. There is no question that it will be life changing for millions of bowel disease sufferers
Georgios Vrakas, consultant transplant surgeon for small bowel transplantation at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, added: This product is inspirational - something so simple in concept, yet so incredibly useful. This was tricky to invent, but through sheer determination Michael has created something that should become standard issue for every ostomy patient. There is no question that it will be life changing for millions of bowel disease sufferers.”
The device, for which the business has a patent, is manufactured in Lancaster costs £75 per unit. It clips on to any type of ostomy bag sending Bluetooth alerts to an app on users’ mobile devices when the bag hits a set limit. Patients can set individual alerts as to when they wish to be notified. Each device lasts up to three months and the app is available on iOS and Android.
