The intestine is the largest organ in the human body and fulfills vital functions in the breakdown and utilisation of food. It’s said that as many as 30 tons of solids and more than 50,000 litres of fluid pass through a human gut in a lifetime. If for some reason that gut doesn’t function quite as it should, it can have unpleasant, even life-threatening consequences for its owner.
A particularly serious occurrence is a breach, or an imminent breach of the intestinal wall. In the event, the physician usually has to rely on the commonly used wound closure method: sutures or tacks. The particular qualities of the intestinal tissue and the constant movement of the organ mean this approach can cause dangerous bleeding and other complications.
Ovesco has created an alternative solution where a clip can be inserted through an endoscope: an optical instrument used for looking inside the intestine. When the clip is closed, the tissue around the lesion is sealed and a comprehensive and reliable closure is maintained.
Gunnar Anhöck is responsible for research and development at Ovesco: "You could say that we apply a kind of trap, which is successful because of its simplicity. It is currently the best alternative method to seal a lesion."
OTSC® (Over-The-Scope-Clipping) offers a high success rate and all but eliminates the need for subsequent surgery. Health insurance companies and hospital administrators favour the new improved method because it’s cheaper and more reliable than the previous treatment.
Ovesco’s technique has also caught the attention of Proctologists. "Treating rectal fistulas is very difficult,” says Mr. Anhöck, “and can often cause either injury to the sphincter or obstruction of the intestinal mucosa, both with corresponding complications. We developed and tested the OTSC® system for this new application and we had a great response. With immediate demand, it was necessary to quickly deliver our first products."
Traditionally, developing and making a new product with plastic parts incurred high costs for tooling, which could only be justified if none of the parts were subject to design changes and were to be produced in large quantities.
Unfortunately, neither of these criteria applied to the new product developed by Ovesco. Gunnar Anhöck describes the solution: "Initially, we ordered milled prototypes using Proto Labs’ FirstCut® service. But, once we’d finalised design of the parts we wanted them produced in greater numbers. So, we tested the free quotation service that Protomold ® offers on its website. We loaded up our 3D SolidWorks models and within one day we received detailed cost quotations and manufacturability analyses. Once we placed an order, we were amazed by the speed of the service despite the low volumes involved. With Protomold, the parts can be delivered very quickly indeed.
For example, for all parts of the applicator, Proto Labs supplied them in just 15 working days. “By comparison, our standard tool supplier could take up to 12 to 15 weeks,” says Mr. Anhöck, “at huge cost. In addition, the Proto Labs service is fully flexible, so we were able to make changes throughout the ordering process without incurring additional cost. We looked at services from other prototype manufacturers, but they required far too much time and were at least twice as expensive as Proto Labs.”
Mr. Anhöck also recalls how working with the Proto Labs engineers to optimise Ovesco’s 3D models, was a very positive experience: “The placement of the holes for the mounting screws, different surface structures on the handle, a folding backup pad on the trigger, the respective injection points, ejector pin placements, and the connection of the clip-holder with the metal guide are all things we have altered. As a result, we got perfect parts without the typical defects such as bubbles, flow lines, streaks or sink marks. Proto Labs has even been able to support us by supplying the specific medical material we requested."
As Head of Development, Mr. Anhöck is enthusiastic about the possibility of further cooperation. At the time of writing, his schedule for the product launch was tight, but deliveries were scheduled for early 2012. “For us, the performance of Proto Labs was an integral part of the successful development and introduction of our new product. We have already targeted the next innovation which will again see us working closely with Proto Labs and making use of their invaluable services."
