Revolutionary Diagnostic Therapeutics Call for Custom Pumps

In the medical therapy industry, both safety and time are priorities. For sufferers of musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease, back and joint pain typically impairs normal activities. Effective biochemical-based treatments can go a long way toward reducing their pain.

Therapeutic product developers are generating new possibilities in treatment. One is the Autologous Platelet Integrated Concentration (APIC) System, developed by Cytonics, that concentrates Alpha-2-Macroglobulin through a patented process. A small amount of blood is drawn at the patient’s point of care, processed into Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) by concentrating the Alpha-2-Macroglobulin from the plasma utilizing a proprietary filtration and pump process. Cytonics’ research has shown that Alpha-2-Macroglobulin in high therapeutic concentrations can reduce pain and inflammation, clean and protect joints, and eliminate the factors that cause further damage to the joints.

Product developers from Cytonics turned to Masterflex’s OEM Services Group to create a custom pump solution for their APIC system. The high-performance pump drive for the treatment is coupled with a centrifuge and a disposable processing kit to prepare the platelet rich plasma and concentrate the Alpha-2-Macroglobulin. The pump circulates the plasma through a filter for a specified duration. Once the filtration cycle is complete, the Alpha-2-Macroglobulin concentrate can be drawn from the concentration bag into a syringe for clinical administration.

A Fast & Flexible Process

Developing a pump solution that met performance requirements yet also matched cost targets was initially a challenge. “The product developers and the OEM team worked collaboratively both in person and through conference calls to hone design requirements, product features, and meet critical timelines,” said John Sullivan, Director of OEM Sales.

As the design evolved, the OEM team responded to a compressed eight-week schedule to deliver the pump prototypes. This time frame was necessary to move the therapeutic procedure to market. The product developers relied on the OEM team’s experience to optimize the pump design while they navigated the required safety agency testing. While the process was designed to move quickly, it was imperative to yield a successful end product that met market needs. Feedback resulted in a second version of the pump, and while this process lengthened the time to market somewhat, it insured that the outcome was well tuned. “Ultimately, based on market demands, we created a second version of the custom pump using different software,” explained Sullivan.

Less Pain, Better Results

The product developers at Cytonics were thrilled with the outcome and have plans to create more APIC systems with their Masterflex® OEM pumps. It’s a good thing too, more than one out of every two people, age eighteen and over in the US, will be affected by a musculoskeletal disease. For those 65 and over, the likelihood increases to three out of four. These types of conditions can be the most disabling and costly.1 Yet, emerging therapies, such as APIC, offer the promise of a less painful future, and Masterflex’s OEM Services is ready to contribute to the solution.

Need more info about OEM services? Contact us at 1-800-MASTERFLEX

To learn more about the APIC system, contact the US distributor, Catalyst, at www.catalyst-connect.com or email info@catalyst-connect.com.

¹Musculoskeletal Diseases, Bone and Joint Initiative USA. Retrieved September 16, 2015 from http://www.boneandjointburden.org/