- Device created by British scientist who said it could save the NHS huge sums
- Blood is removed and cleaned of dangerous microbes using magnets
- Machine is to undergo the first human clinical trials next year
- Could also be used to treat blood-borne diseases such as malaria and leukaemia
A machine that ‘sieves’ the blood could save thousands from falling victim to deadly sepsis infections.
The device has been created by a British scientist who said it could also save the NHS huge sums by getting patients out of hospital quickly.
Working in a similar way to dialysis, the blood is removed – but in this case it is cleaned of dangerous microbes using magnets.
The machine is to undergo the first human clinical trials next year and is also being tested for use against blood-borne diseases such as malaria and leukaemia.
Dr George Frodsham, who came up with the idea while studying for a PhD at University College London, said: ‘This is early-stage technology we are doing, we have got a prototype but at the moment this is in-lab concept work.
‘But it could save the NHS a lot of money. Sepsis patients are very expensive if they hang around in intensive care.’
Sepsis, known as the ‘silent killer’, hits when an infection such as blood poisoning sparks a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.
The leading cause of avoidable death in the UK, it kills at least 44,000 a year.
Antibiotics can control the infection if it is caught early, but without a quick diagnosis there is little doctors can do to control its spread.
Dr George Frodsham, who came up with the idea while studying for a PhD at University College London, said: ‘This is early-stage technology we are doing, we have got a prototype but at the moment this is in-lab concept work’
The Mail launched its End the Sepsis Scandal campaign in the wake of revelations following the death of 12-month-old William Mead in 2014.
It emerged there had been a catalogue of errors, misdiagnoses and missed opportunities by doctors and NHS helpline staff. Dr Frodsham’s machine – known as the MediSieve – aims to stop infections even at a late stage.
Designed to be used by intensive care units, blood is removed from veins in the patient’s arm and enters the machine, where magnetic particles are added.
These are designed to seek out and bind to the dangerous bacteria that cause sepsis as well as little floating scraps of old microbes known as endotoxins, which are known to accelerate the violent immune response called the ‘septic cascade’.
Dr Ron Daniels, of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: ‘Any novel therapeutic technology which aims to improve outcomes from sepsis has the potential to help thousands of people.’ Pictured: 2006 colorised scanning electron micrograph image of E. coli is one of the germs that causes sepsis
Once bonded together, they are caught by a powerful magnet and the ‘cleaned’ blood is then returned to the body.
Dr Frodsham, whose design is unveiled at the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub Showcase in London today, said: ‘It all happens in the machine – the magnetic particles never enter the body. It should take a couple of hours to get through the entire blood flow, but that will change person to person.’
He has been backed by the Wellcome Trust and Innovate UK – a Government agency.
Dr Ron Daniels, of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: ‘Any novel therapeutic technology which aims to improve outcomes from sepsis has the potential to help thousands of people.’