After successful completion of their pre-seed fundraise in September 2023, ACT Medical welcomed Medical and Life Science Product engineer, Nathan Wenban, to the team. With the expanded team and new investment, ACT Medical has been developing its life saving trauma care device in order to perform product validation and further user studies with US first responders.

About Nathan

Nathan is an experienced engineer in the field of Life Science and Medical Device product development. Nathan brings to ACT Medical several years of technical product development experience after performing on and leading development programs for Medical Devices and Life Science products including diagnostic instruments, novel sensors, and bioreactors.

Nathan will be leveraging this past experience to manage technical risk and perform engineering development activities to accelerate ACT Medical’s R&D. Additionally, Nathan will be accountable for product quality through the implementation of an ISO 13485 accredited Quality Management System and the translation of our device to high-volume manufacturing.

My Experience at ACT Medical

Back in September 2023, Joseph and Emma approached me with an offer to join ACT Medical as their Head of Technology. Having kept a close eye on the inspirational work of the team so far, it wasn’t hard to accept. With the recent completion of their pre-seed raise, I was aware of my ability to contribute to the team’s new work ethos, one of highly accelerated development. This development is focused on achieving one shared goal – to save lives worldwide by improving how bleeding is managed – and my own personal goal to introduce new technologies to do so.

At ACT Medical we are developing a novel device to stop catastrophic bleeding in deep, narrow penetrating trauma primarily in junctional areas of the body – in these areas, tourniquets cannot be used and traditional methods of treatment can be ineffective and cost medics precious time. ACT’s device is designed to be inserted deep into the wound, to the point of bleeding, and activated by a first responder, leading to direct pressure application which halts bleeding. The advantages of this treatment continue with the patient into the operating room, where the device is designed to be quickly removable.

My activities, so far, have been focussed on performing key design activities with our Head of Product and identifying and corresponding with external partners to deliver our MVP, and demonstrating Clinical Proof-of-Concept. I’m also planning for the future, evaluating key partners for manufacturing large quantities of devices to reach medics worldwide as soon as possible. To ensure future product quality, I am rolling out our quality management system that will lead to future customer and regulator satisfaction.

The year ahead holds huge promise for our team and the communities we aim to serve. I am excited to gain user feedback on our MVP, and to integrate the crucial feedback into our product. Demonstrating device validation strengthens our position ahead of our next fundraising round, and accelerates our journey to getting this life-saving device into the hands of users.

• ACT Medical’s award-winning medical device aims to save the lives of stabbing and gunshot victims by stemming bleeding from penetrative trauma. Follow ACT Medical on LinkedIn for the latest updates or email hello@actmedical.co.uk to speak to us directly.