A special machine developed by Doyen Medipharm has enabled First Water, in Wiltshire, UK, to bring its new hydrogel wound dressings to production.

Hydrogel can be very sticky and normal dressing fabrication machine technology would not meet First Water’s requirements. Doyen’s DMS system enables the hydrogel pads and their backing material to run continually at constant speed and tension – so the pad and backing meet “perfectly” and form the dressing with minimum material waste.

Equally important is the machine’s ability to produce surgical dressings in pad, strip and island format, as well as hydrogel dressings, large wound care pads, “and almost anything in between”, according to the company. A Doyen packaging machine is also incorporated into the dressing system. First Water managing director Cliff Andrews says the benefit of this is that “products can be manufactured and packaged in one operation, on a fully validated system. It is extremely efficient, and we have found it invaluable in producing our high value wound care products.”

More information from Louise Dickson, Doyen – TEL: +44 (0)1223 246300.