As a Clinical Nurse Specialist, NeedleCalm Pty Ltd Director, Lauren Barber, saw first-hand the pain and anxiety experienced by patients undergoing needle-related procedures.
After witnessing many patients with a fear of needles, particularly children, Lauren forged the idea for a medical device technology to help alleviate this pain and ultimately improve compliance with needle-related procedures.
“After being a patient myself a number of times and as a healthcare professional, I recognised and began to understand patterns in patients. I realised that something needed to change in the way that we do things as clinicians,” says Lauren.
Lauren saw that to make a sustainable change in the healthcare system, a lot of focus was needed to solve the root cause of problems that clinicians and patients face.
“Our drive is reinforced daily from everyone we speak to. It just makes sense to provide a practical solution to a problem,” says Lauren.
Currently in the final stages of preparing for commercialisation, the technology, NeedleCalm™, is a cost-effective, single-use device intended to be applied on the skin at the planned site for injection.
From day 1 Lauren had been searching for a program that could assist with bringing her idea to market, however none of them seemed like the right fit.
“We joined the MedTech Actuator Accelerator Program in our third year, as we realised that we were entering an increasingly complex environment. We saw that the program would provide us with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate our way through the commercialisation process,” says Lauren.
Lauren and her co-founder, Megan Guy recently completed the 6-month intensive and now have a plan for the future of NeedleCalm Pty Ltd.
“It’s been great to get all of the necessary documents and presentations in place whilst also establishing crucial networks with leading industry experts,” says Lauren.
For Lauren, the most beneficial aspects of the program have been finding support and building confidence, allowing her to build a solid foundation of skills required to run a successful business.
“It can be a really busy time for anyone starting a new business, especially when you may be still juggling another role, but making time for the Accelerator program has been worthwhile. The mentoring helped us to stay on track and bring our product closer to market as quickly as possible.”
In an exciting development, Lauren was recently elected to the Medical Technology Association of Australia’s Board of Directors and will manage the Women in MedTech Committee.
To learn more about NeedleCalm Pty Ltd and follow their journey go to www.needlecalm.com.au.
Do you have a MedTech idea to change lives? Apply now for the MedTech Actuator Accelerator Program!
This article first appeared on the MedTech Actuator website: http://medtechactuator.com/
