Dot Medical takes heart from NW Fund

A CHESHIRE medical device company which has pioneered a treatment for a heart condition is set to expand after sealing £550,000 from the North West Fund for Biomedical.

Dot Medical has made a piece of equipment to treat Atrial Fibrillation – which causes an irregular and often abnormally-fast heart rate – and affects1.5m people in this country alone.

The funding for the Macclesfield company means it will be able to expand the number of centres treating the condition, and will allow it to take the first steps towards international expansion.

The North West Fund for Biomedical is a sub-fund of The North West Fund, a substantial pot of money jointly financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the European Investment Bank and available to support small and medium sized businesses in the North West of England to start, develop and  grow.

Atrial Fibrillation can be treated in hospital with an internal heart-shocking procedure called internal cardioversion. This involves inserting a catheter into a vein in the leg and pushing it to the correct position in the heart where an electric shock is given to restores the natural heart rhythm.

Dot Medical already supplies the NHS with its ‘Alert Internal Cardioversion System’ which includes the ‘Alert’ catheter.

The funding will be used to develop and manufacture equipment for delivering energy to the ‘Alert’ catheter.  This will enable the procedure to be more widely available in the UK and abroad.

Dot Medical’s MD Dr Ian Rankin says the funding will allow 150 more centres to carry out internal cardioversions – it is currently only available in 50 units.

Dr Rankin added: “From a business perspective it will mean that Dot Medical will be able to expand globally from its current European base to China and India and ultimately the USA.”

Dr Penny Attridge, senior investment director at SPARK Impact, which manages The North West Fund for Biomedical, said: “Of the 1.5 million people affected by AF, only 18%  receive any treatment for their condition.

“It’s worrying as having AF can increase the risk of suffering a stroke by nearly 500% This is why it’s so important to invest in a business that is doing so much to help people with such a common medical affliction.”

Dot Medical is The North West Fund for Biomedical’s 20th investment to date.