MolecuLight’s Revolutionary Technology Will Help Over 2M People Across Europe

Ian Withers

FTSE 100 medical products firm Smith & Nephew has launched a digital scanner that enables nurses to make an on-the-spot diagnosis as to whether a wound is infected.

The handheld device, called MolecuLight, instantly determines whether harmful bacteria are present in a wound. Currently nurses have to send a swab off to a lab for analysis, causing delay in treatment. In clinical trials Smith & Nephew found using the scanner led to 54pc more accurate diagnoses and wounds healing up to nine times faster.

Smith & Nephew hopes sales of the device will boost its wound care division, which accounts for around a quarter of its $4.7bn (£3.5bn) annual revenues. The firm came under pressure last month to improve performance after it emerged activist investor Elliott Advisors had built up a stake and was pushing for the company to be broken up. Read More