Aseptika Ltd (Cambridgeshire, UK) announced the launch of its Activ8rlives’ POGO hub for smartphones and tablets at the Gadget Show Live 2014 (NEC, Birmingham, UK) on the 9-13th, April 2014. The Activ8rlives’ POGO is part of Aseptika’s Always Connected strategy to empower people to self-manage long-term health conditions through self-monitoring various parameters of health at home and while on holiday. The POGO connects to the earphone port of smartphones and tablets and transmits data to the web from the company’s medical devices and wellness gadgets by using proprietary technology developed by the company.
The POGO serves two roles as a “hub”: First, it allows medical devices which only connect by USB to exchange data with the web without the need for a laptop or PC. This
greatly reduces the cost and complexity for the user, while making self-monitoring solutions completely mobile for “on-the-go” monitoring. Second, it can also add Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity to smartphones and tablets which do not have this capability - a function that is currently only available on high-end and more expensive smartphones and tablets. This makes it possible to connect the company’s second generation of Bluetooth 4.0 device to the web via less expensive cellular products.
The Activ8rlives’ POGO was designed, developed and manufactured by the company in collaboration with a number of UK companies, most of whom are located in Cambridgeshire, in what is becoming a growing trend of “re-shoring” manufacture in the UK.
Aseptika’s Founder and MD, Kevin Auton described how this was achieved: “As a Medtech devices and solutions company, we need to move quickly, which means tightly coupling design, development and manufacture of software, firmware, electronics, casework and Cloud-based informatics. Even for a relatively simple product such as the POGO, because it is unique everything had to be developed from a blank sheet to provide the first of a series of solutions we need. Working with local companies, such as RGE Group in Huntingdon, who developed our
designs into parts which could be
injection molded and manufactured at scale and quickly, has enabled us to bring POGO rapidly to market, giving us first mover advantage. RGE worked closely with us to helping make our core parts and it is great for us that both companies are located in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. You really can’t beat the ability to walk down the road (5,800 steps) and collaborate face-to-face when speed to market is essential.”
Colin Ramsay, Technical Account Manager, RGE Group said: “Aseptika’s POGO has been a really interesting project for us. Working with a medical devices company such as Aseptika where the production volume is
relatively low compared with our mainstream business, but the
quality, precision and delivery has to be to the very highest standards, is an interesting direction for our company and we were delighted that Aseptika chose RGE to develop the tooling and manufacture the product locally rather than overseas. We are seeing a lot of interest from Cambridge-based companies who need
rapid tooling, fast turnaround and low volume runs for products that can be CE marked for use in clinical trials with NHS patients and will be looking to expand this capability in the future as we attract local innovators to make their products here in the UK. We are only concerned that working with Aseptika will mean that all employees will be required to walk 10,000 steps a day. Our factory covers 14,000m2 so fortunately we do a lot of walking during the working day already!”