Contra Cancrum Coli is the scientific-practical center, engaged in development of new methods of colon cancer diagnostics and treatment, inventive and designing activity, patenting and introduction of inventions.

The Center in only person provides the full cycle of creation of medical equipment: from investigation of problem to introduction of product in hospitals.

The Center has successfully finished 3 projects of the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia; now is implementing the project of the Fund for Society Intergration. Center’s production – 2 principially new devices:

Colonoscope for Colon Cancer Screening (the working model), Intestinal Intubator with Drain and Irrigator (the industrial prototype).

Short description of organization

The solving problem

The solving problem is concerned with the danger of opening of anastomotic sutures after removal of tumour. The leakage occurs in every 5th patient after urgent surgery and every 8th – after sheduled surgery. The probability of leakage depends on the presence of contents in the intestine.

Intestinal Intubator with Drain and Irrigator is a device for surgical treatment of colon cancer.

As a whole the complications after urgent operations on account of colon cancer are to be observed in 53% of cases, the mortality – in 32%.

AnastomosisAnastomosis

• In connection with the presence of intestinal contents and the danger of opening of sutures, the majority of surgeons does not remove a tumour, but bring outside the adducent loop of intestine - create colostomy.

• After the first operation patient shall have another 1 or 2: removal of tumour, closure of colostomy.

• The cost of the full cycle of treatment in case of presence of complications could achieve 4 thousands euro.

The solving problem

ColostomyColostomy

Product and its advantages

The Intestinal Intubator with Drain and Irrigator:

- excludes colostomy, - replaces 2-3 operations by only

1.

Removal of tumour during the first operation decreases the probability of spreading of cancerous cells.

Introduction of the device will : - reduce the number of complications and mortality, - reduce the treatment expenses,

- save patients from

psychological and physical problems related to colostomy.

Product and its advantages

• The device received high estimations of experts of the Academy of Science of Latvia.

• The device has no analogues.

Unique are all 3 systems of device: intubational, drain and irrigation.

Product and its advantages

The device is protected by the patents of EPO, EAPO, Ukraine, Latvia; the examination is going in Australia, Canada, China, India, USA.

Market and its potential

The consumers of the device will be hospitals: starting from small which provide the urgent surgical aid, up to large which have specialized coloproctology departments.

Market and its potential

In Western Europe and the USA colon cancer is among first three places by the mortality rate among oncology diseases. In Latvia the number of colon cancer patients during the last 20 years was doubled.

Here is data for evaluating of the market for the Intestinal Intubator with Drain and Irrigator.

• The consumption of device is defined by the number of hospitals and clinics, which made operations on colon, and by the principle: 1 operating-room – as minimum 2 devices. The price of device is estimated about 2000 eiro.

• The consumtion of disposable cartridges for the device is defined by the number of operations on colon and by the principle: 1 operation – as minimum 2 cartridges. The price of cartridge is about 150 eiro

• In countries covered by patent protection live 3,5 mlrd. people.

Achievements of the project

The presence of industrial prototype and patents of EPO, EAPO, Ukraine - the most strong arguments on today. Besides, there are following achievements of the project:

• experiments on 50 big animals,

• results of preliminary clinical testing of the device,

• results of bench investigations of safety and effectiveness of industrial prototype of the device,

• presentation of the device on www.coloncancer.lv, European exhibitions and medical scientific forums,

• proposals of a number of hospitals to conduct the trials of the device.

FinancesCalculation of expenses on clinical introduction gave the figure of 400 thousands eiro on 3 millions of population. In this sum are included the expenses for:

• preparation of documentation and receiving of official permittions for clinical application of the device,

• preparation of technical documentation for the industrial prototype of the device,

• organization of small-series production of the device,

• payment of patent fees and patent services,

• salary,

• travelling expenses, including the transportation of the equipment,

• payment to clinics for introduction of the device,

• training of surgeons, personal and other. Clinical introduction of the device is expedient to conduct parallely in several hospitals. About the organization of introduction thėre is a sense to speak when will be known the concrete intentions and financial possibilities of the investors.

Inventor and Investor – the dream(interpretation of sketch by I. Surovtcev)