November 13, 2007 -- Thousands worldwide could benefit from the innovative nature of a small Worcestershire manufacturer which has tapped into high-tech help from universities in the region.

Malvern Medical Developments, through to the final of the Lord Stafford Awards, is expecting its Oracol Plus product to revolutionise the way deadly viruses and infections are identified.

Considerable time and investment has been channelled into the further development of its disposable saliva collection device so that the process is now quicker, more effective and, importantly, free from the risk of possible contamination so prevalent in the past.

This means diseases as diverse as measles, HIV and Ebola can be identified quickly and treatment speeded up, potentially saving thousands of lives.

Managing director Peter Broadbent said: "Oracol has been in operation since 1990 and is used the world over by medical organisations, such as the UK Virus Reference Laboratory, public health laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturers, Universities and the World Health Organisation. The extraction and collection of saliva for medical testing uses too many operations and runs a risk of contamination.

What we have tried to do is take out the parts that may contaminate the saliva sample and possibly create aerosols. This has involved a complete redesign of both swab and container."

He added: "We have a product that is easy and safe to use and, thanks to the redesigned break off feature of the handle, gives the laboratory a safe sample to manage."

Malvern Medical tapped into the 3D product design and prototyping expertise of the University of Wolverhampton, the Polymer Cluster Project and Rapra to ensure Oracol Plus is smaller and uses the most effective materials.

The support has also been invaluable in sourcing partners to work with and in demonstrating the commercial viability of the product.

Peter, who started the company in 1988, added: "Following the advice, we have committed to injection moulding tooling and are currently testing the device in readiness for approval and market launch.

"The potential is huge as it can be used worldwide in so many areas, from testing laboratories to doctor's surgeries and field medical work, where speed of action is so important.

"Initially, we are looking at sales of approximately 150,000 devices and have taken on two additional staff to move the project forward. After that significant growth is expected."

The success of Oracol Plus has the potential to have an impact on several Midlands manufacturing companies, which have added expertise to the development and production of the product.

Malvern Medical has no plans to move work outside of the domestic marketplace.

Source: Birmingham Post