Microvisk
{{Short description|British medical device manufacturer}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Microvisk Ltd
| logo =
| type = Private company
| industry = Point-of-care testing
| foundation = {{Start date and age |2006 }}
| founder = John Curtis
| location_city = Worminghall
| location_country = United Kingdom
| key_people =
| products = MEMS and coagulation devices
| num_employees = 40
| num_employees_year = 2011
| homepage = {{URL |https://www.microvisk.com/ }}
}}
Microvisk is British a medical device company based in Oxfordshire that produces coagulant monitoring devices. Its main product is a microviscometer to perform the prothrombin time test, which measures how long it takes blood to clot.{{cite news |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2008/11/10/217751/a-portable-cheap-blood-clotting-test/ |title=A Portable, Cheap Blood-Clotting Test |publisher=MIT Technology Review |date=November 10, 2008 }}
It was a member of the Welsh Optoelectronics Forum - a group of companies specialising in optoelectronics which developed out of Pilkington’s glass manufacturing operations.{{cite news |title=North Wales photonic hub prospering |url=http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-technology/north-wales-photonic-hub-prospering/143953/ |accessdate=19 June 2018 |publisher=New Electronics |date=27 July 2016}}
History
The company was spun out of the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council in 2004, with initial backing from public Rainbow Seed Fund. It was funded through a mixture of private and venture capital investors,{{which|date=April 2012}} and established collaboration with the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust. The UK clinical trials were facilitated by Trustech - part of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement’s network of hubs across England.{{cite news |url=https://sciencebusiness.net/news/68482/Microvisk-raises-%26pound%3B2M-for-blood-coagulation-test |title=Microvisk raises £2M for blood coagulation test |date=February 3, 2010 |publisher=Science Business Net }}
Initially the site at St Asaph, North Wales handled sales and shipping, overall project management, clinical chemistry, data analysis, component production and administration. Research into sensors and micro-electromechanical technology was conducted at the site at Chipping Warden, Oxfordshire, along with sensor and electronics development. It developed a MEMs based microviscometer for the prothrombin time test.
In 2006 the company expanded its premises and undertook a clinical trial with the Royal London Hospital, which gave excellent results in comparison with a universally recognised laboratory-based industry standard.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} Initial research was carried out at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
In 2008 the company increased staff levels and moved to a new facility with custom-built laboratories and additional office space, allowing future expansion. The company changed management in 2016 and moved to a new facility in Oxford in 2018 and moved its administration to Worminghall.{{cite web |url=https://www.microvisk.com/news/ |title=Microvisk News |year=2019 |publisher=Microvisk }}
Products
The company's main product is the CoagMax, a point of care INR monitor for home and professional use.