KT-50

A major advance in accessible wound care

Click + Drag

Dimensions:

Summary

Kii.am is a hybrid engineering contractor involved in both designing and manufacturing complex devices (largely handheld) for the dental, dermatology and veterinary markets. These skills include expertise in using light sources.

Year:2018

Timeframe:2.5 years

The core issue

The technique of activating chromophore gel with fluorescent light energy to speed the healing of damaged skin isn't new. It's already being used in hospitals and clinics. However, until now, the patient has to go to the treatment center because the activating light source was too heavy and bulky to be portable. What if the machine could be taken to the patient instead?

Finding the right people

Klox Technologies were looking for a way to make that technology more accessible to patients. They focused on using light therapy technology to achieve more effective skin healing. They knew that the light source had to emit 454 nanometers (typically found in dental curing lights) - so that was the starting point.

Klox found us at a dental exhibition (due to our reputation with dental devices) and asked us to help them develop their ideas. They heard about our expertise with light sources. Could we find the best light arrangement to activate their chromophore gel? Could we place it in a handheld device? "Yes", we said.

Unveiling the solution

At Kii.am we began by lab-testing four different lights with different wavelengths (colors) and power outputs. These experiments then led us to finding the optimal wavelength and photonic power required for the best results.

In parallel, we set about greatly reducing the size and weight of the system by placing the lights within the confines of a hand-held flashlight body. That involved dealing with power output, battery performance, internal heat management and more - all while meeting photo-biological safety test standards.

Building the first prototype to test the technology on actual skin allowed us to measure photonic power from different distances to the wound and find the optimal distance. We then followed up with further prototypes.
Along the way we employed our multiple Lii.am skills: design, R&D, engineering, materials selection, prototyping, mold-making and serial production.

The big advantage

For the first time, fluorescent light energy could be taken to patients wherever they were. The unit weighed just over 600 grams instead of 45 kilos. That meant it could be used in local clinics for people as well as in veterinary clinics for pets. It could be used in home visits.

Klox Technologies found that when they smeared their specially developed gel over an open wound and applied the Vetoquinol light, it triggered rapid healing and far less scarring. The marketing director of Klox, said "It's a brilliant advance, giving us the freedom to bring skin healing technology into every room."

Results

The development project has found great success. Since its release to the market in early 2021, over 10,000 units have been expertly manufactured at the Kii.am facility and shipped worldwide to North America, Europe and China.