A Belfast company that invented a ground-breaking new non-contact thermometer for use in hospitals is set to create five new jobs after securing major export partners in 11 new countries.
Medical technology experts TriMedika™, located at the Innovation Factory in West Belfast, has created TRITEMP™ a new hi-tech, non-contact infrared thermometer – that drastically reduces the potential for infection and eliminates the use of millions of plastic disposable probe covers every year.
The reaction to the product has been so positive that the company is creating five new jobs in 2020.
TRITEMP™ is already being used in 16 countries and following attendance of the major international trade show Medica in Dusseldorf, the company has identified additional channel partners in new territories including Brazil, Mexico, all four Scandinavian countries, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Poland and Croatia.
Dr Roisin Molloy and Julie Brien formed TriMedika™ in 2016 after carrying out extensive research into state-of-the-art equipment to meet the changing requirements of medical staff and organisations.
“The main aim of the NHS is to reduce infection, save costs and reduce waste. A 900-bed hospital takes around one to two million temperature readings per year, which means one to two million plastic caps for disposal and one to two million unnecessary contact points with patients. In TRITEMP™ we have created something that does away with this, reducing the potential for infection and eliminating tons of plastic waste,” Dr Molloy said.
Within 18 months the TriMedika™ team developed and brought to market a fully certified, tested infrared thermometer, gaining approval both in Northern Ireland and England on the NHS purchasing framework and now sold in countries around the world.
The company’s next step is to create a new system of connectivity that automatically records the patients’ temperature in a digital record.
“Everything in a hospital is currently written down on a chart then transferred later to digital records by the nursing staff, wasting nurses’ time. We are working to develop a system that will do this instantly,” said Dr Molloy.
The company moved into Innovation Factory on the Springfield Road in September as it plans to expand quickly in 2020 and the site offered the flexibility to upscale easily as well as access 24-7 and secure parking.
“Another unexpected benefit of being at Innovation Factory is the relationships we are developing with other tech companies based here. We’re speaking to a number of companies in this building that we may be able to partner with,” Dr Molloy added.
Majella Barkley, Centre Director at Innovation Factory said TriMedika™ was an exciting example of Northern Ireland entrepreneurs developing new technology that would potentially save the health service millions.
She said: “TriMedika™ is making a significant contribution to the future of the National Health Service. It is incredible that a small team of Northern Ireland innovators and medical professionals are creating products that could affect the lives of NHS patients for years to come.”
Innovation Factory is owned by Belfast City Council and operated on their behalf by Oxford Innovation. The £9.1m business hub was funded by Belfast City Council and Invest NI with support from the European Regional Development Fund.
Customers include a range of start-ups and growing businesses in a variety of sectors including digital services, creative industries, business services, financial services and research and development.
For more information on the Innovation Factory visit: www.innovationfactoryni.com.
