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Bedfont® incorporates SteriTouch® technology into the redesign of its famous monitors

Bedfont Scientific, who in 2016 are celebrating two important anniversaries – 40 years in business and 30 years of one of their most successful exports – the Smokerlyzer, are revered as pioneers in the breath analysis market. Their products are now available in over 76 countries across the world thanks to their unprecedented network of appointed distributors.

However, belonging to such a niche medical devices market, Bedfont Scientific is always innovating and improving their monitors to remain the market leaders in their fields. Following the success and feedback from integrating SteriTouch technology into their piCO+™ Smokerlyzer® in 2012, Bedfont decided to include antimicrobial technology in the redesign of their ranges.                

Current ranges now with SteriTouch technology include the Smokerlyzer, a carbon monoxide (CO) breath monitor used by Stop Smoking Services, the ToxCO™ used by emergency services to instantly diagnose CO poisoning, and the Gastrolyzer® for detecting gastrointestinal orders. The plan for the future is to continue to incorporate SteriTouch technology into Bedfont’s remaining ranges too. 

Jason Smith, General Manager at Bedfont Scientific, explains,

“We felt that including SteriTouch technology into all of our monitors was a simply natural progression. With all of our devices being used in medical and clinical environments, to ensure optimum performance and omit cross-infection which can affect patients’ results, SteriTouch technology seemed like the ideal extra protection for our breath monitors.”

GP’s and patients can be assured of a more accurate diagnosis with this product from Bedfont® Scientific.

This year, apprehensions have been rising about asthma after recent studies uncovered some horrific truths about asthma; Asthma UK found that over 120,000 asthma sufferers in the UK are at risk from wrongly prescribed medication, whilst NICE published their findings that 30% of people with asthma are suspected to have been misdiagnosed.

Asthma is an affliction that affects an incredible 334 million people worldwide and 5.4 million people alone in the UK.  This year World Asthma Day falls on 3rd May. This awareness day reoccurs every May in a bid to raise people’s awareness of this respiratory condition; how it can have a detrimental effect on your quality of life and in severe cases, result in death.

Bedfont Scientific based in Harrietsham, Kent, who are celebrating 40 years in business this year, manufacture a fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) breath analysis monitor that provides a quick, easy and non-invasive solution to the above-mentioned asthma concerns. 

Using FeNO measurements to monitor airway inflammation in asthma patients represents a significant advance in respiratory medicine. The NObreath FeNO test is a user-friendly way to assess patient adherence to treatment, enabling respiratory specialists to prescribe their patients the right levels of medication. Additionally, the NObreath FeNO test can help to differentiate between asthma and other respiratory conditions such as COPD, and asthma and COPD cross over syndrome (ACOS), resulting in fewer patients being misdiagnosed.

Natasha Smith, concerned mother of two, says,

“My eldest daughter was recently seen by the GP because we suspected she might have asthma. Reading the figures in the news recently published by Asthma UK and NICE has only increased my concerns about my daughter’s welfare. If a test like the NObreath’s was readily available at the doctors, it would put my mind at ease.”

Lois Penhaligan, Specialist Respiratory Physiologist, at the Lung Function Laboratory in Llandough, explains,

“This can be used with patients who have respiratory symptoms, particularly with an unexplained cough and we are looking for the possible cause. The FeNO breath test is used for an assessment of airway inflammation, for the assessment of the effectiveness of a treatment, for example, a bronchodilator and for the management of a disease, for example, asthma.”

A quick, easy and non-invasive breath test with the Gastrolyzer could help thousands of people suffering with IBS.

April is IBS awareness month and for the IBS Network’s 25th Anniversary show, they are highlighting IBS from the patient’s perspective.

IBS is a condition that affects 23% of people worldwide [1] and 10-20% of the UK’s population [2] alone, however, it’s thought that reported numbers are much higher due to many people not seeking medical advice. Often those diagnosed with IBS may, in fact, have a more simple-to-treat condition known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). The condition produces symptoms similar to IBS and is caused by having too many bacteria in the gut.

Bedfont® Scientific, based in Harrietsham, Kent, manufacture the Gastrolyzer monitors that can help with the investigation of IBS through a simple breath test. By measuring the amount of hydrogen and methane in a patient’s breath that is caused by the breakdown of food in the gut, the Gastrolyzer investigates if a patient has IBS or if they instead have another gastrointestinal disorder, by detecting SIBO or any sugar-related food intolerances, including lactose intolerance.

 Jason Smith, Bedfont’s General Manager, comments,

“IBS Awareness Month is the perfect time to highlight the Gastrolyzer and how it can save both the patient’s and doctor’s time in diagnosing gastrointestinal disorders. 
Unlike more conventional methods which can take up to two weeks to diagnose, using the Gastrolyzer means patients will have an instant diagnosis so they do not have to prolong their discomfort, whilst health professionals can see up to 10 patients in one sitting with the protocol mode, saving valuable time. Additionally through breath analysis, because there is no need for a blood sample, people who have a fear of needles can now be diagnosed and treated at ease.”

Bedfont Scientific Ltd. has sold its U.K. subsidiary, NOxBOX Ltd, to Praxair Gases UK, Ltd., a subsidiary of Praxair, a Fortune 250 company with 2015 sales of $11 billion and one of the largest industrial gas companies worldwide. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Bedfont’s sale of NOxBOX Ltd includes the full NOxBOX range of critical care delivery and monitoring devices for inhaled nitric oxide therapy. This announcement comes shortly after Bedfont announced the move to create the subsidiary NOxBOX Ltd after unprecedented success with the NOxBOX® range of products, which have been globally available in different forms since 1997.

Bedfont’s Managing Director, Trevor Smith, reported,

“This transaction will allow our company to focus on its core business in diagnostics using exhaled breath analysis which we see as a tremendous opportunity in the future. Our NOxBOX range of products will much better be supported by Praxair, a global industrial and medical gas company.”                      

It is expected that the transfer of ownership will be largely seamless with a “business as usual” approach. The NOxBOX Ltd company will continue to be located in the UK and staff members previously involved are transferring with the business.

A leading manufacturer of exhaled breath and gas monitoring instruments, who in 2016 is celebrating two important anniversaries – 40 years in business and 30 years of one of its most successful exports – the Smokerlyzer®, Bedfont Scientific is revered as a pioneer in the medical gas analysis market.

Bedfont Scientific, based in Harrietsham, Kent have made a generous donation to help those wishing to quit on No Smoking Day. They have offered local Stop Smoking Services, several free iCO™ Smokerlyzers® to help with their No Smoking Day promotions.

To recognise World No Smoking day 2016, Bedfont Scientific is working with their local Stop Smoking Services (SSS). By donating a few iCO Smokerlyzers as prizes for competitions, Bedfont hopes to raise awareness of the dangers involved with smoking, encourage people to quit and inform the public about how the Smokerlyzer can help.
 
The Smokerlyzer brand is widely recognised by those who have quit smoking, those who are trying to, and the health advisors that aid them. The name is renowned for its quality and effectiveness in helping people to give up the habit.

The Smokerlyzer range is a series of carbon monoxide (CO) monitors that measures the harmful amount of CO that is inhaled from smoking, which can show how much a patient has been smoking, giving smoking cessation advisors an idea on the level of dependency that the smoker has. The Smokerlyzer is quick, non-invasive and also acts as a motivational visual aid to encourage the user to quit smoking and to measure their progress whilst doing so.

Bedfont Scientific, is celebrating 40 years in business this year and are revered as pioneers in the breath analysis market. Founder, Trevor Smith, created the Smokerlyzer in 1985, which is also celebrating its 30th birthday in 2016.  With more than 514852 units sold since existence, the Smokerlyzer is one of Bedfont’s most successful exports and can now be found in over 61 countries across the world.

Jason Smith, General Manager at Bedfont Scientific, comments,

“ We are pleased to be supporting No Smoking Day in this way by donating some of our products to assist the Stop Smoking Services. According to the HSCIC, smoking was attributable to almost 80,000 deaths in England in 2013, a figure which has not changed since 2003, and 454,700 hospital admissions. Even more alarming are the figures released by the ONS showing that the number of people willing to quit smoking in recent years is stagnating. Bedfont’s aim is to help people quit by highlighting the diseases brought about by CO poisoning through smoking, as well as the benefits of quitting such as preventing cancer and other smoking related diseases.” [1][2]

Photo above, inset: Jane Wright, Public Health Manager at Warwickshire Stop Smoking Service with one of her free iCO Smokerlyzers. 

Local company urges smokers to quit smoking with the Smokerlyzer® for World Cancer Day.

World cancer day takes place every 4th February across the globe and this year the taglines are “A Day to Unite” and “We Can, I Can”, in a bid to show support for all those affected by cancer. The day also aims to increase awareness of cancer and to educate and encourage the world to donate, and help prevent cancer; a disease which claimed the lives of 8.2 million people worldwide in 2012 and is expected to claim up to 13 million by 2030 [1].

Statistics show that lung cancer is the “leading cause of cancer death in men and the second leading cause in women” but unfortunately “smoking is by far the most important risk factor for lung cancer” and the most preventable one (American Cancer Society, 2015) .

 A leading manufacturer of exhaled breath and gas monitoring instruments, who in 2016 are celebrating two important anniversaries – 40 years in business and 30 years of one of their most successful exports – the Smokerlyzer, Bedfont Scientific are revered as pioneers in the medical gas analysis market.

 Jason Smith, General Manager at Bedfont, comments,

“The Smokerlyzer is a breath analysis monitor that detects the harmful amount of carbon monoxide (CO) in your lungs, and therefore your blood, that is inhaled from smoking. Those who smoke can build up high levels of CO in the blood, which can lead to heart disease, circulation problems and high blood pressure. Used in smoking cessation clinics, it is a way to establish a smoker’s status whilst acting as a motivational visual aid to encourage them to quit and to measure their progress whilst doing so, helping to prevent cancer and other smoking related diseases.”

 Jane Wright, Public Health Manager at Warwickshire Stop Smoking Service and long-term advocate of the Smokerlyzer, said,

“The Smokerlyzer CO monitors have been providing support to health professionals and acted as a motivational aid to smokers for the past few decades. Being able to support smokers daily and incorporating stop smoking treatment into their tech-products will massively increase the chance of helping smokers to quit.”

REFERENCES
[1] American Cancer Society. Global Cancer Facts & Figures 3rd Edition. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2015

Local Kent company based in Harrietsham – Bedfont Scientific Ltd – has now released its video as part of the campaign to compete for ‘National Public Champion’ in this year’s European Business Awards and they need your votes!

Bedfont Scientific, based in Harrietsham, Kent, has posted a video explaining why you should vote for them on its website at www.bedfont.com, giving a powerful insight into the story of the business and its success. In 2016, the company is celebrating two important anniversaries – 40 years in business and 30 years of one of their most successful exports – the Smokerlyzer.  Revered as pioneers in the breath analysis market, their products are now available, in over 70 countries across the world with an unprecedented network of appointed distributors.

The European Business Awards was created to recognise and promote business success and support the development of a stronger business community throughout Europe. 

Competing against all other country National Champions for the public vote, the company with the most votes will be named ‘National Public Champion’ for the UK on 7th March 2016. The first phase of the online voting is open from 11 January to 26 February 2016. 

Trevor Smith, Managing Director at Bedfont, says:

“We are grateful for the opportunity to show the people of Kent what our business does and how we save lives. We are encouraging people to vote online for us once they have viewed our video. The public vote means a great deal as it’s not just our existing and potential customers giving their approval to our success but also all the people we’ve helped in our 40 years of business.”

Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards, said,

“Last year the public vote generated over 170,000 votes from across the world.  It is a very important part of the Awards as it gives these entrepreneurial companies another way of showcasing their achievements.”

Bedfont Scientific Ltd based in Harrietsham, Kent, aims to expand its Gastrolyzer range across the UK and Ireland with the help of new distributor Kebomed.

Bedfont Scientific, a leading manufacturer of exhaled breath monitors, are proud to introduce Kebomed as the new distributor for its Gastrolyzer range throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. Kebomed will become the 74th member of Bedfont’s exclusive diagnostics distributor network; a structure which has led to much success for Bedfont.

The Gastrolyzer range uses breath analysis to measure levels of Methane, Hydrogen and Oxygen and can accurately detect a range of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders such as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) or food intolerances such as lactose or fructose intolerance. The Gastrolyzer range is also commonly used in the investigation of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a disorder which affects 23 per cent of people worldwide. The success of the Gastrolyzer range is due to the innovative way in which it can help detect GI disorders; its non-invasive manner and instant results are unlike more traditional methods which can take up to two weeks to diagnose.

Matthew Skinner, Gastrolyzer Product Manager at Bedfont, says,

“We always welcome the opportunity to start new collaborations with new distributors; Kebomed have the knowledge of the industry and share our belief in the importance of Gastrointestinal services. We welcome Kebomed into our fold and hope that this new relationship helps us to further strengthen our coverage of the Gastrolyzer range throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland”.

Pardeep Rai, GI Sales Director at Kebomed, says, 

“We aim to use our knowledge of the GI market to increase the Gastrolyzer’s portfolio in the UK and Ireland, and look forward to this opportunity leading to growth for both companies”.  

Bedfont Scientific Limited has created a subsidiary as part of its long term development and expansion plans. The new company NOxBOX Limited will concentrate on its hugely successful range of Inhaled Nitric Oxide monitoring systems.

Bedfont Scientific Limited, established in 1976 in Harrietsham, Kent, specialises in exhaled breath and gas monitors which are used in the medical industry. The NOxBOX range was introduced by Bedfont in 1992 and is used to deliver and monitor inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) therapy.

iNO therapy is mainly used in intensive care units (ICU) to aid in the therapeutic care of premature babies and patients under severe respiratory distress. Using iNO therapy allows the blood supply to pick up oxygen from the lungs more readily by dilating the pulmonary arteries, making it the ideal method of treatment for pulmonary hypertension and other conditions that can lead to severe breathing difficulties. It is also the only iNO therapy monitor that can be used during transport, making it ideal for ambulances.

The new subsidiary company will focus on increasing awareness of the NOxBOX product and associated healthcare benefits to improve market share in the UK, Europe and further develop its customer base across the global market, while its parent company Bedfont Scientific will concentrate on developing new products and increasing use of its wide range of existing breath and gas monitoring systems.

Jason Smith, Bedfont Scientific’s General Manager, says,

“The success of the NOxBOX range has led us to what we feel is a natural progression that will further ensure the continued high levels of quality and service for our customers.

“Our aim for NOxBOX Limited is to grow the customer base globally, continuing to save lives, one breath at a time.”

Giving up smoking is one of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions and every year on January 1, millions of people around the world make themselves a promise to somehow improve their lives or do something they’ve always wanted, but never have. However, while 22 percent of the UK population resolved to quit in January 2015 [1], the average time before they went back to smoking was just 24 days [2].

The new iCO Smokerlyzer is the latest CO monitor from Bedfont Scientific for use in smoking cessation. Through a simple, non-invasive breath test this monitor can measure the harmful levels CO in the blood caused by smoking, acting as a motivational tool to help quit. Statistics from the Health & Social Care Information Centre found that in the UK between April and June 2015, 72 percent of those who quit smoking had their results confirmed through CO verification [3].

A recent study by Grant et al. (2015) looked at CO testing within Stop Smoking Services (SSS). In their findings, one client highlighted that CO monitoring was one of the most useful elements of the SSS he received, “one of the most useful things I found about it was the CO readings every week…you know, you can’t fool a machine, so it’s difficult to fool yourself then” [4].  With CO monitoring already acting as a highly motivational tool, the ability to monitor your CO from a more comfortable environment like your home shows promise for the iCO.

The iCO Smokerlyzer plugs into the headphone slot of your device and is used in conjunction with the Smokerlyzer app. Instant readings can be downloaded to a personal profile, allowing users to track their progress, and be motivated to quit smoking, anytime, anywhere. What’s more, progress can be shared with smoking cessation advisors, fellow quitters, friends and family.

Dominic Finn, Chief Technology Officer at North 51 Healthware, comments,

“The new iCO Smokerlyzer presents a brilliant opportunity for Smoking Cessation Services to work even closer with clients whilst trying to quit smoking. Clients can track their own quit attempts and the data can be pushed to our QuitManager product to help Advisers flag those smokers that need the most support.”

REFERENCES
[1] Supplymanagement.com, (2015). Supply Management | The procurement and supply website. [online] Available at: http://www.supplymanagement.com/blog/2015/01/what-are-the-uks-top-10-new-years-resolutions-for-2015 [Accessed 30 Nov. 2015].
[2] Withnall, A. (2014). Poll reveals ‘Fail Friday’ as the day you are most likely to break. [online] The Independent. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/poll-reveals-fail-friday-as-the-day-you-are-most-likely-to-break-your-new-years-resolution-9034571.html [Accessed 30 Nov. 2015].
[3] Hscic.gov.uk, (2015). Find data – Health & Social Care Information Centre. [online] Available at: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB18749 [Accessed 30 Nov. 2015].
[4] Grant, A., Ashton, K. and Phillips, R. (2015) Foucualt, Surveillance, and Carbon Monoxide Testing within Stop Smoking Services. Qualitative Health Research. Vol.25 (7) 912-922.