Edison Nation Medical Launches New Colorectal Cancer Search

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Edison Nation Medical, a medical device incubator and online resource for people passionate about healthcare innovation, is conducting a worldwide innovation search for ideas to improve stoma management and the quality of life for patients following a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy procedure.

The search aligns with National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March as ostomy procedures are common in patients who have undergone surgery due to colorectal cancer. According to National Cancer Institute data, approximately 143,000 new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed in 2013.ⁱ Among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. 

An ostomy is a surgically created opening in the abdomen designed for waste elimination. Patients who have had surgery for conditions and diseases such as colorectal cancer, bowel cancer, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis and ulcerative colitis may require a colostomy or ileostomy to aid in solid waste elimination. Patients who have had surgery for conditions and diseases such as bladder cancer, obstruction or trauma may require a urostomy, designed for urine elimination. Surgeons bring the end of the large intestine (for colostomies) or the ileum, the lowest part of the small intestine, (for ileostomies) through the newly created opening to form a stoma through which solid waste is eliminated; they tie the patient's ureters into the ileum and form a stoma through which urine can pass in the case of urostomies. Waste is then collected in a pouch fitted to each patient (although internal collection may also be possible in certain procedures). The pouch must be worn at all times and emptied up to eight times each day, depending on the type of procedure.

Regardless of the type of surgical procedure, living with a stoma can present various challenges for patients, including the following examples:

• Appliance leaks
• Skin complications (from irritations resulting from waste coming in contact with skin)
• Difficulty removing the pouch
• Ill-fitting pouches

According to one study that followed patients for three months after their procedures, 63 percent of participants experienced skin complications despite being evaluated at regular intervals by a specialized nurse.ⁱⁱ Another study found that 73 percent of people with a stoma experienced skin problems, and more than two-thirds tried to resolve these issues without nurse involvement.ⁱⁱⁱ

Edison Nation Medical is looking for innovative medical devices and accessories innovations that can be used for improving the function of the different pouching systems. Potential examples include:

• Inserts
• Ostomy belts
• Drainage systems
• Pouch covers
• Skin barriers
• Sealants
• Tapes

"Even though an ostomy may be performed as a life-saving procedure, that does not diminish the fact that living with a stoma can be very emotionally and physically challenging," said Julie Wheelan, vice president of marketing for Edison Nation Medical. "We are confident that bright ideas exist in the minds of patients, physicians, nurses and others to improve stoma care and maintenance. We are eager to receive these ideas and help bring them to life in order to improve the lives of patients around the world."

Edison Nation Medical provides a clear pathway for anyone with a new medical invention idea—doctors, nurses, technicians, patients, caregivers, and entrepreneurs—to get their idea to market by lowering the traditional barriers to entry, which include time, money, expertise and access. 

Anyone with a relevant search idea may submit it to the confidential portal at www.EdisonNationMedical.com/StomaMgmt through April 14, 2014. The best ideas will be designed, developed and licensed by Edison Nation Medical, which then splits licensing royalties 50/50 with successful inventors.

Individuals pay a $25 submission fee for each idea. There is no limit to the number of ideas an inventor may submit. Edison Nation Medical absorbs all subsequent research, patent, and development costs.

"The mission of Edison Nation Medical is to create more effective, efficient and safer healthcare," said Robert Grajewski, president of Edison Nation Medical. "Helping to improve the quality of life for those living with a stoma would certainly fulfill this mission in a very meaningful way."

ABOUT EDISON NATION MEDICAL
Edison Nation Medical is a medical device incubator and health care innovation portal with deep product development and medical expertise. A collaboration between Carolinas HealthCare System, one of the nation's leading health care systems, and Edison Nation, prolific product developer and online social community for inventors, Edison Nation Medical's mission is to create more effective, efficient and safer health care through innovation by breaking down traditional barriers and providing an easy way for new medical product inventions to come to life.

Edison Nation Medical is based in Charlotte, N.C. For more information on the company, please visit www.EdisonNationMedical.com. 

ⁱ "SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Colon and Rectum Cancer." Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. National Cancer Institute, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
ⁱⁱ Salvadalena, GD (Jul-Aug 2013) The incidence of stoma and peristomal complications during the first 3 months after ostomy creation. Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing; 2013 Jul-Aug;40(4):400-6
ⁱⁱⁱ Smith AJ et al (2002) Multidisciplinary care of skin problems in stoma patients. British Journal of Nursing; 11: 5, 324-330.

SOURCE Edison Nation Medical