Industry Trends & Forecast
In the 2010-2014 period, the Wound Care Manufacturing industry experienced strong levels of growth each year. This was largely due to an increase in private expenditure, which helped to accelerate demand, even in light of the decline in federal funding that was due to the effects of the global recession (beginning in 2008). Industry growth in the advanced wound care manufacturing sector is expected to continue at a solid pace over the next five years. The increase in private health care coverage, coupled with an ageing population in the US, as well as in several other countries, is projected to lead to an increase in demand for wound care products.
Advanced Wound Care Products & Manufacturing
The manufacture of advanced wound care products presents several unique processing challenges – particularly in relation certain aspects of production such as laminating, die cutting, and packaging. Consequently, it requires a mastery of the materials, techniques, and processes involved.
Some examples of wound care products include:
• Negative Pressure Dressings
• Silicone Dressings
• Antimicrobial dressings
• Hydrocolloid dressings
• Alginate dressings
• Hydrogel sheet dressings
• Absorptive dressings
• Adhesive bordered foam dressings
• Compression dressings
• High moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) dressings
• Thin film dressings
• IV site care
• IV securement
• Podiatric care devices
• Ostomy care
• Exudate management
• Wound closure devices
• Multi-Layer suture strips
• Energy absorption pads
• Surgical patches
• Topical analgesic patches
Leaders & Their Products
Some of the leading advanced wound care product manufacturers, known for their advanced engineering capabilities and creative solutions, are:
1) 3M
The ubiquitous 3M has a wide variety of critical and chronic care solutions available to help treat both acute and chronic wounds, from skin tears, friction, abrasions, and lacerations, to open surgical wounds, closed intact surgical wounds, donor sites, superficial partial-thickness burns, venous leg ulcers, and neuropathic or diabetic foot ulcers. 3M provides cost-effective solutions, as well as educational services and professional and technical support, and prioritizes ongoing research and development.
2) ConvaTec
ConvaTecis another US leader providing a wide variety of wound care solutions. It also has a number of pages with helpful general information on its website regarding taking care of different types of wounds, from burns to leg ulcers to surgical wounds.ConvaTec has developed an extensive range of dressings, including its very own AQUACEL® dressing, AQUACEL® foam dressing, AQUACEL® Ag dressing, AQUACEL® Ag foam dressing, and AQUACEL® surgical dressing, as well as its DuoDerm® dressing range and Versiva® XC® gelling foam dressing.
3) Human Biosciences
Human Biosciences, is a global biotechnology company that specializes in collagen-based products for wound care management. The company develops and manufactures a range of advanced wound care products including its Medifil™ II Particles andSkinTemp™ II Dressings, which are sold worldwide.
4) Derma Sciences
http://www.dermasciences.com/products
Derma Sciences is a Tissue Regeneration Company focused on research and innovation for managing burns and wounds, acute and chronic. Their goal is to be a leader in the development of active therapies in wound care management.
Derma Sciences has developed Dermagran® Ointment, which uses zinc acetate to promote skin protection, as well as a number of advanced wound care dressings, including Dermagran®-B Hydrophilic Wound Dressings (also using zinc acetate), Hydrocolloid Dressings, Calcium Alginate Dressings, Hydrogel Dressings, Impregnated Dressings, and Antimicrobial Silver Dressings. It also manufactures wound cleansers and Total Contact Casting, as well as MEDIHONEY® – the top global medical-grade honey line of products for wound and burn management.
5) Baril Corporation
Baril is a wound care manufacturer with an advanced grasp of the materials, processes, and technology involved in wound care management and production, and has previously teamed up with a number of the world’s leading healthcare innovators in order to develop and manufacture a wide range of products related to advanced wound care.
Baril has extensive expertise with a range of medical-grade wound care materials, including hydrogel, silicone, medical foam, and hydrocolloid materials, as well as other medical adhesives. Baril also offers a wide range of wound care manufacturing capabilities. These include CNC (digital) die cutting, laser cutting, flat bed die cutting, rotary die cutting, and extensive multi-web laminating.
All of Baril’s wound care production operations take place in its ISO 14644 Class 7-certified clean room, which is monitored for humidity and temperature control and features an environmental viable bio-burden monitoring program that is ISO 14698 compliant. The clean room is designed and equipped for the manufacture of sterilized medical devices, as well as other products that require ultra-clean processing – it was specifically designed to accommodate the manufacture of advanced wound care products. Flatbed and rotary die cutting, multi-layer laminating, ultrasonic part cleaning, assemble and inspection, and sterile packaging are some of the operations that take place specifically in the clean room.
Baril is committed to providing an excellent customer experience, and delivers premium quality in the precision die cutting and converting industry by employing extensive systems and quality processes. The facilities are ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003 certified. Going above and beyond the requirements of these certifications, Baril is committed to promoting meticulous attention to detail to ensure that its products conform to a high level of quality in order to perform in line with, and to exceed, customer expectations, knowing that every wound care product manufactured by Baril could be used to treat a daughter, son, mother, or father.
In addition to the many advanced wound closure and wound care products that it manufactures, Baril also specializes in producing advanced medical and surgical devices, which have been implemental in developing and producing numerous life-enhancing and life-saving products. Baril is involved in manufacturing diagnostic and microfluidic products (including IVD manufacturing) – which require absolute precision and uncompromising environmental control in order to ensure that they perform accurately when finally used. In the same way that it treats the manufacture of its wound care products, Baril is committed to an unwavering level of attention to detail, and its advanced processing and engineering capabilities, coupled with excellent quality control systems, are designed to ensure that each component and product produced will perform according to the listed specifications.