A UK startup linked to Imperial College London has launched a wrist-worn device for securely attaching intravenous drip lines to patients, designed to reduce treatment interruptions and help the NHS bring down the substantial costs of replacing failed lines.
Javelo was founded Dr Ashton Barnett-Vanes, a medical doctor with a PhD from Imperial, after he saw first-hand how easily intravenous lines can become dislodged in hospital.
As a doctor, I saw how something as seemingly simple as securing an IV line could have a significant impact on both patients and staff. Dr Ashton Barnett-Vanes
One of the most serious complications is extravasation, where medication escapes from the vein into surrounding tissue. Severe cases can cause significant pain, tissue damage and long-term injury. This also comes at a cost to the NHS, which has settled more than 200 claims relating to extravasation over the past decade at a cost of approximately £16 million.
The new device from Javelo is worn around the wrist, similar to a watch, and is designed to hold IV tubing using a mechanical design rather than the adhesives commonly used. This allows patients greater freedom to move without dislodging the line.
After launching the company, Dr Barnett-Vanes provided the device for independent evaluation by researchers at Imperial who carried out an EPSRC-funded comparative study that found it to be the most comfortable and effective IV line securement product tested. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE.
Dr Barnett-Vanes, Founder and CEO of Javelo, said: "As a doctor, I saw how something as seemingly simple as securing an IV line could have a significant impact on both patients and staff. When a line becomes dislodged or fails, the patient may need another cannula inserted, treatment is interrupted and clinical or nursing time is taken up replacing and managing lines. We wanted to create something simple, comfortable and easy to use within everyday hospital care."
Imperial links
Dr George Morgan, Research Associate in Imperial's Department of Bioengineering and lead author of the PLOS ONE study, said; "This study developed an evaluation method that better reflects the conditions patients experience in clinical practice. It has been encouraging to work with innovators such as Ashton and the Javelo team, who have subjected their technology to rigorous testing and peer-reviewed publication. This contributes to the evidence base and supports continued improvement across the field."
During his time at Imperial, Dr Barnett-Vanes was based at the National Heart and Lung Institute and also undertook doctoral research at the Centre for Blast Injury Studies, bringing together clinical, scientific and engineering expertise.
Professor Sara Rankin in the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial said: "Ashton's journey demonstrates how bringing together expertise from different disciplines can equip clinicians and scientists with the skills needed to create practical solutions to real healthcare challenges. It is exciting to see an innovation shaped by that approach now delivering benefits for patients and healthcare professionals in the NHS and beyond."
NHS roll out
The UK-manufactured device is being used at NHS sites managed by East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust and the Wye Valley NHS Trust.
Now in its fourth generation, the device is being made available to healthcare providers nationwide through award to the NHS Supply Chain IV Cannula and Associated Products Framework starting April 2027.
Javelo is supported by Adjuvo, Kidney Research UK, Scottish Enterprise and Old College Capital, the University of Edinburgh's venture investment fund.
