TOKYO & NEW YORK & DÜSSELDORF, Germany– AW Technologies and Asahi Kasei Medical, a core operating company of the Asahi Kasei Group, have entered into an exclusive distribution agreement in Japan for AW Technologies’ TrachFlush™ device. AW Technologies is currently in the process of medical device registration of the TrachFlush in Japan, with market launch targeted in fiscal 2024.
Developed by AW Technologies based on an invention by an intensivist, the TrachFlush is a medical device to reduce the discomfort of ventilated patients while lightening the workload on healthcare professionals during tracheal suctioning. The TrachFlush supports airway secretion (phlegm) management with a unique cuff pressure control system, and has received the CE Mark in Europe in 2020 and FDA clearance in the United States in 2023. In Japan, marketing and sale is to be performed by Asahi Kasei Medical.
With the push of a button, the TrachFlush deflates the cuff and utilizes the ventilator air pressure during an inspiratory cycle, and re-inflates the cuff before the cycle completes.
Ken Shinomiya, President of Asahi Kasei Medical, stated, “We are delighted to add the TrachFlush to our product lineup in the intensive care field, where we have strength in the area of blood purification. By leveraging our experience and know-how in blood purification, we believe that this will deliver diverse value, such as enhancing patients’ QOL and reducing the burden on healthcare workers.”
Adam Hansen, CEO of AW Technologies, commented, “We are very pleased and excited to announce our partnership with Asahi Kasei Medical. This partnership is very important for AW Technologies, and Asahi Kasei Medical will play a very important role in our expansion of TrachFlush globally. We believe the TrachFlush will have a great impact in the ICU – not only by preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia, but also by non-invasively preventing the accumulation of secretion in the airways.”
