Capa Valve History
In 2011 Kevin Abbott, a plumber by trade, developed a piece of equipment to fill a domestic central heating system with rust inhibitor and mains water. The equipment was essentially a cylindrical vessel with a plunger which contained a valve. The vessel was filled with inhibitor, connected to the heating system and mains water pressure was applied to the device to move the plunger to inject the inhibitor into the central heating system. Once the inhibitor was injected and the plunger bottomed out in the vessel the valve in the plunger then opened to allow mains water through the plunger to fill up the system with water and mix with the inhibitor.
The prototype system worked well and Kevin decided to contact a patent agent to look into patenting the device. The patent agent advised that despite its simplicity the valve was indeed novel and if miniaturised could be used in medical syringes in a similar manner to provide a dual stage dispense of two different liquids
In 2012 Kevin approached his local University, the University of Hertfordshire, for assistance in miniaturising the valve and installing into a medical syringe. This is where he met Dr Phil Green from the engineering department who secured funding for the work and produced the first proof of concept prototypes.
Since that time patents have been granted in Europe, the UK and in the US and significant progress has been made in further developing the valve to provide a way to pre-mix two liquids or a liquid and solid in a pre-filled syringe using the valve in different configurations which now forms the basis of additional patents which have recently been filed (2022).
Dr Phil Green, a finalist for the European Inventor of the Year 2019, was appointed Technical Director of Capa Valve in 2022.
Support for Capa Valve.
As an emerging new UK technology company, Capa Valve has been supported by the UKTI.
In February 2013 Kevin Abbott was invited to a consultation chaired by Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke which discussed promoting the involvement of small businesses in the Transatlantic Trade and Invest meant Partnership (TTIP) initiative.
Following that consultation, in March 2014 Capa Valve was included in a Trade Mission to Sao Paulo, Brazil organised by Kenneth Clarke ( Promoting Health, Wealth and Open Markets). The Ambassador’s Residence was used to showcase emerging technologies from British Companies.
Key benefits to the Medical and Animal Health Community
1: Patient Wellbeing
Minimising discomfort & risk to the individuals being injected.
2: Environment
More environmentally friendly as there is less medical waste produced in the process.
3: Storage
Reduced storage costs as less space is required to house the equipment
4: Logistics
Reduced transportation costs as there is less packaging and lighter, smaller shipments to be made.