At Medica 2000 in Düsseldorf, exhibition visitors will be able to witness the launch of a new wireless level alarm that discreetly warns colostomy pouch wearers when it is time to empty or replace their stoma pouches. Swedish medical technology company Crafcare AB, developer of the "Living Free" alarm system, reports that persons who have undergone stomal surgery using the system enjoy greater confidence and increased freedom.

Crafcare will be appearing at Medica 2000
in Düsseldorf, 22-25 November 2000
Hall 7, display D:21

The alarm consists of a level sensor that fastens to the outside of the pouch with a self-adhesive plastic pocket and an electronic unit that vibrates or emits an alarm to notify the wearer when it is time to empty or replace the pouch. The alarm control device can be kept in a pocket or strapped around a wrist. According to the manufacturer, the product is also useful for other types of patients besides those who have undergone permanent stomal operations.

- Post-operative patients who cannot control bowel function can also benefit from Living Free, says Bernt Persson, managing director for Crafcare.

The company has held a trial of the prototype product with a group of people who have undergone stomal surgery, and the questionnaire results have been positive.

- We tested the alarm on users ranging in age from 9 to 74. A nine-year-old girl was very pleased with it. Because the system produces an audible alarm, the girl's mother could remind the girl when it was time to change her stoma pouch. The majority of those with positive responses are interested in using an alarm system in the future. It gave them a sense of increased freedom and confidence, reports Bernt Persson.

Even relatives of ostomies pouch wearers benefit from the alarm. Today, many users must set an alarm clock to wake them regularly during the night so they can check whether it is time to empty their stoma pouches. The periodic ringing of the alarm clock disturbs other family members.

- With Living Free, only the person with the ostomies pouch ever needs to wake up. And the user may not even need to wake up at all during the night, should the pouch not fill to the pre-set level, explains Bernt Persson.

The product is reported to fit all makes of stoma pouches. The user can choose between three levels of how much the pouch fills before the alarm starts, and the settings are easy to change.

At Medica 2000, Crafcare hopes to find industrial partners willing to collaborate in marketing and technological development. The company holds the Swedish patent for the system and has applied for patents around the world.


For more information, please contact:
Bernt Persson, Managing Director Crafcare AB
Norra Vallgatan 68, SE-211 22 Malmö, Sweden
Tel. +46 40 660 04 41, mobile: +46 703 29 41 53
Website: www.crafcare.se

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