Lineus Medical Acquires BVAD Tech and Second Vascular Access Device

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Nov. 13, 2017 - PRLog -- Lineus Medical completed the acquisition of BVAD Tech, the owner of a dual lumen peripheral IV catheter called BVAD. BVAD is designed to provide normal peripheral IV vascular access while minimizing the painful sticks associated with blood draws and blood sugar checks that are required during inpatient hospital stays.

Patented in 2014 by Lineus Medical's founder, Spencer Jones, BVAD utilizes patented, bifurcated lumen technology. Medication will be able to be administered through BVAD's primary lumen just like all other peripheral IVs, while the secondary lumen allows for uncontaminated blood samples. Currently, a diabetic patient in the hospital receiving daily blood draws will receive a minimum of four finger pricks and one vein puncture each day. Over a 5-day hospital stay, the patient will experience a minimum of 20 finger pricks and 5 needle sticks.^1,2 BVAD is designed to allow a blood draw without having to restick the patient each time - 1 stick with BVAD versus 25 sticks with today's technology. If the patient's blood sugar is unstable, a blood sample is necessary every 1-2 hours, meaning a 5-day hospital stay can result in well over 50 finger pricks.

Blood sampling from an indwelling device is common with large central venous catheters and PICC lines (peripherally inserted central catheters). However, current standards prohibit sampling from indwelling peripheral IV catheters due to possible contamination of the blood sample. With two lumens, the BVAD provides the blood sampling capabilities of central venous catheters but in a much smaller, less expensive device. "Sticking patients like pin cushions at all hours of the day and night doesn't create an optimal healing environment. BVAD is designed to drastically reduce the number of needle sticks and finger pricks that patients have to endure.", said Jones.

BVAD has been granted a European patent, and is patent pending in the US, India, Japan, and China. BVAD expands and compliments Lineus Medical's vascular access product offering for the $1.3 Billion global peripheral IV market. Lineus Medical will be able to leverage its current sales model and distribution channels to ensure BVAD's success.

Founders of BVAD Tech, David DePoyster and Spencer Jones, met during the 2014 ARK Challenge business accelerator in Little Rock, Arkansas. After winning first place and a $150K prize in that competition with BVAD, DePoyster and Jones shortly thereafter acquired the rights to a breakaway safety device and founded what is now Lineus Medical. "With the complimentary nature of the products, we felt confident that the BVAD would add both medium and long-term value to Lineus Medical.", said Jones. "Bundling products is prevalent in today's hospital purchasing landscape, and having two innovative products in our portfolio will give us an edge over other vascular access competitors.

Gary Stevenson, Managing Partner of MB Ventures and Chairman of the Board for Lineus Medical, commented "Lineus Medical already has great technology with their Patient Safety Disconnect device, SafeBreak Vascular. We believe adding a second product that is patent protected and requires the same sales and distribution model only makes the company more valuable and likely to succeed going forward.

ABOUT LINEUS MEDICAL

Lineus Medical is the developer of a unique, patented, break-away technology that works with all types of medical tubing. Dislodgement of feeding tubes, IV lines, urinary catheters and any other type of medical tubing is prevented by the device breaking into two pieces and protecting the patient's catheter insertion site. The company's first product, SafeBreak Vascular fits into any standard IV tubing and will help prevent IV lines from failing, which occurs 46% of the time according to the clinical literature. SafeBreak Vascular and BVAD are not yet 510(k) cleared and are not yet for sale. More information about Lineus Medical can be found on the company website: www.lineusmed.com.

1. American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Care 2014 Jan; 37(Supplement 1): S14-S80. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc14-S014

2. Hieronymus, L., Robinson, S., What to expect in the Hospital, Diabetes Self Management Website, August 17, 2010.

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