Monday, November 5, 2007
PartnerAlliances Completes Technology Transfer with Microtek Medical Holdings Inc.
St. Joseph Solutions enters into a licensing agreement with Microtek Medical
Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: MTMD) to commercialize (design, develop, manufacture
and market) a patented protective sleeve cartridge system for stethoscopes
called StethoClean.
PartnerAlliances managed the entire technology transfer business development
process - from partner evaluation and due diligence, through licensing
contract negotiations and execution to product development - resulting in
the following release:
MICROTEK MEDICAL INTRODUCES STETHOCLEAN
Disposable Stethoscope Cover Stays With Healthcare Professionals and Reduces
Spread of Infectious Diseases Such as MRSA
ALPHARETTA, GA - Today, Microtek Medical Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: MTMD), a
global leader in barrier infection control solutions for the healthcare
environment, announced the release of StethoCleanT, a new device that offers
clean, disposable stethoscope covers to protect each patient from germs and
infectious disease. StethoClean attaches to the stethoscope, making twenty
single-use stethoscope covers easily accessible to healthcare professionals
as it travels with them throughout the day.
According to the Annals of Emergency Medicine, stethoscopes carry disease
from one patient to another, spreading everything from the common cold and
flu to life-threatening hospital "superbugs" such as MRSA and other staph
infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that
over 100,000 people die from hospital infection each year - as many as car
accidents, breast cancer and AIDS combined. Consumer Reports on Health
(September 2007) recommends that hospital staff wash their hands and clean
their stethoscopes before examination to help prevent the spread of
hospital-acquired infections like MRSA or other dangerous "superbugs."
"Microtek is proud to take the next step in raising the standard of care in
hospitals and doctor's offices by bringing StethoClean to the market,"
stated Dan R. Lee, Microtek Medical's President and CEO. "By limiting the
spread of infection, controlling the cost of disease and limiting risks
inside medical facilities, we expect StethoClean will be embraced by
patients and medical professionals alike."
"As a Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgeon, I am acutely aware that any
post-operative infections can be deadly," said Dr. Donald Buckley, a
cardiovascular surgeon based in Cincinnati, Ohio. "I believe that covering
the stethoscope will provide protection for both the patient and the
healthcare worker. Doctors will use it because we care about our patients
and it is the right thing to do. Patients also will demand it. The time has
arrived that implementation will become as universal as the use of
disposable gloves. StethoClean is a much needed addition to the universal
precautions that are now utilized during patient care in the clinical care
setting."
Jennifer Giroux, registered nurse and mother of nine, invented StethoClean
to protect her own children and patients from dirty stethoscopes. "I know
how busy doctors and nurses get, running from patient to patient," Giroux
explains. "There just isn't time to stop and wipe the stethoscope off
between each patient. I was concerned about where the stethoscope had been
before it was touching my own kids." Giroux, concerned about the spread of
bacteria, viruses, germs and infectious disease by carriers of infection
that touch the healthy and sick alike, secured the patent for StethoClean in
2003 and paired with Microtek in 2005.
For more information about StethoClean, visit www.mystethoclean.com
To schedule and interview with Jennifer Giroux or Kurt Huelsman, Microtek
Medical Vice President, please contact Kelly Oliver (ext. 140) or Megan
Erhardt (ext. 136) at (703) 683 - 5004.
About Microtek Medical:
Microtek Medical is a leading manufacturer and supplier of innovative
product solutions for patient care, occupational safety and management of
infectious and hazardous waste for the healthcare industry. Headquartered
near Atlanta, Georgia, the Company offers an extensive line of infection
control, fluid control and safety products, such as disposable equipment and
patient drapes, which are marketed to healthcare professionals through
multiple channels, including direct sales, original equipment manufacturers
("OEM's") and private label arrangements. Microtek Medical's goal is to
provide healthcare professionals with innovative product solutions that
encompass a high-level of patient care and prevention of cross infection in
operating rooms and ambulatory surgical centers worldwide. For further
information, visit www.microtekmed.com.
For more information:
PartnerAlliances Contact:
Tim Curley
1650 Belvoir Drive
Los Altos, CA 94024
(650) 949-2776
tim@partneralliances.com
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