MEQU: Developing the world’s smallest blood warming device has required years of development and a focus on patenting
The medical device company Mequ has developed a blood warming solution, which ensures that injured people in accidents get warm blood in transfusions, thus avoiding hypothermia. After several years of work, Mequ has obtained a patent for the solution, and more patents are on the way.
When accidents occur in hard-to-reach areas, such as war zones, the rescue team needs to bring equipment that is compact and has the necessary functions. For instance, it is necessary that blood for transfusions has body temperature so that the injured avoid hypothermia.
Mequ has developed a blood warming solution, which ensures that the blood given to injured parties has a temperature of 37 degrees. The device also has a small size and relevant functions, such as being battery-powered, which is a great advantage at accident sites.
Warming blood in a device is not a new invention, but the existing devices are too big or do not work properly. Ours is significantly smaller and easier to use, which is a great advantage, and therefore we started on the patent application early in the process
Ulrik Krogh Andersen
CEO and founder of Mequ
In collaboration with Guardian IP Consulting, Mequ filed its first patent application in October 2011, and from 2017 to 2021 the patent was issued in several markets of interest for the company. In the meantime, Mequ has been working to further develop the product, get it approved by international health authorities and make it ready for more markets.
– Together with Mequ, we have worked on obtaining a broad protection through thorough patent applications that describe exactly how the various inventions in the blood warmer work. It is protected in several vital markets, such as USA, Canada, Australia, and Europe, and this is important in relation to competitors, says Henrik Bagger Olsen, European Patent Attorney and partner at Guardian IP Consulting.
A long road to market requires close collaboration with your advisor
An essential part of patenting an invention is to put up a commercial barrier against copyists. For Mequ, it has taken a ten-year process to obtain regulatory approval and almost the same for the patent rights, but a copyist can be on the market in a few years if there is no patent protection. Therefore, it has been important for both Guardian IP Consulting and Mequ to have an open and constructive dialogue about the best protection of the product.
- When going through a long and costly process of getting a medical device on the market, patents are very important. Henrik has knowledge of the patent claims and how they interact and at the same time he understands why our device is unique. He focuses on delivering and therefore our relationship is really good, and we can plan several patent applications together, says Ulrik Krogh Andersen.
At Guardian IP Consulting, Henrik Bagger Olsen agrees that the good collaboration is a driving force in obtaining the best results for Mequ
- It is a pleasure to work with Ulrik, because he is determined, but is also patient in relation to getting the best patent, even though the process can be long. It is impossible for a startup to have patents in all countries and therefore we advise, in close collaboration with Mequ, about where it makes commercial sense to have patent protection.
Since the first patent application was filed in 2011, Mequ has filed several applications that protect new, improved features. Some of these have been issued as a patent, in the USA. By doing this, the company creates more barriers for competitors and thus actively protects its unique invention.
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