AN AYRSHIRE based company that makes fabrics designed to be implanted during surgery has teamed up with Irish academics to develop new life-saving technology.

RUA Medical’s most recent development replaces diseased blood vessels to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

As part of an European Union funded programme, the business, with bases in Prestwick and Irvine, embarked on a 12-month collaboration with the Institute of Technology Sligo, in the Republic of Ireland, giving the company access

to testing facilities and

world-class technological expertise.

RUA Medical’s 25 skilled employees specialise in creating materials that can put inside the human body during surgery.

Using a range of materials, from polyester to stainless steel, they produce these implantable textiles designed to work with the human

anatomy helping solve all sorts of medical conditions.

RUA Medical CEO, Dr Caroline Stretton, said: “Due to the bespoke nature of establishing this new fabric coating activity and introducing new expertise into the company, we felt this could only be achieved through tailored collaboration with an academic expert who also understood the medical device environment – and this became possible through this programme.”

The Co-Innovate programme, which operates in Western Scotland and the island of Ireland, is facilitated by Scottish Enterprise.

Stacey Neville, Innovation Specialist at Scottish Enterprise, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Caroline and the RUA Medical team throughout this project, and to see the resulting successes.

“This project has helped reinforce RUA Medical as a specialist full-service textile provider from design through to final product supply, and we’re excited to follow the next steps in their growth journey.”

The project was completed on schedule, and the first devices made via the new fabric coating operation – using RUA’s trademark Elast-Eon polymer technology – are currently undergoing regulatory testing.

The commercial launch is anticipated after FDA approval is achieved in mid-2021.